My Giant Pumpkin

About author / Victoria Wesseler

Healthy eating advocate; master gardener; local food expert. Even veggie haters love her recipes.

We had a great growing season this year--with the exception of my much anticipated giant pumpkins. Every year, my pumpkin patch has produced enough bounty to keep the neighborhood children happily supplied with pumpkins for their Halloween carving activities. But this year I guess we’ll have to hold a lottery for the one, solitary giant pumpkin that sits toward the back end of my squash garden. It’s a mystery to me as to why or how this has happened. And I’m not sure how to break it to the kids. My guess is that they know by now anyway. It’s hard to miss that big orange misshapen lump poking out of the withering foliage.

My friend suggested roasting the flesh to make a few pies for Thanksgiving. But ornamental pumpkins are not good for pie making or cooking. You need culinary pumpkins for that. And this year I decided not to grow culinary pumpkins because I wanted more room for my butternut squash to spread out. The butternut squash produced very well. However, there’s not much call for butternut squash jack o’ lanterns around here. The good news is that butternut squash makes a terrific substitute for culinary pumpkins in most recipes, so I guess all things being said; I’m fine in that department.

Generally pumpkins, both culinary and ornamental, are fairly easy to grow. They like medium to rich soil, full sun, and plenty of space to spread out in the garden. The seeds should be planted on a slightly raised mound of dirt once the garden’s soil has reached 60 degrees F. Plant five seeds per hill and thin out the plants to 2 per hill once the seedlings are about 4 inches tall. Although you can buy pumpkin seedlings at the garden stores, pumpkins don’t usually transplant well and you are likely to have more success by starting your plants from seed.

Pumpkins like lots of water so if you have a dry summer, water them with an inch of water per week. They also like plenty of fertilizer so apply a 10-10-10 fertilizer at the base of the plant every two weeks. As the plants begin to set their fruit, gently lift the little pumpkin, taking care to not break the stem from the vine, and place some straw underneath it to provide a nice dry area to prevent underside molding. If at all possible to do without breaking the stem from the vine, as you place the straw underneath it, set the pumpkin on its blossom end with the stem end pointing toward the sky. This will allow the pumpkin to grow into an evenly round shape.

Harvest your pumpkins (or in my case, pumpkin) when it is fairly hard and has fully turned color. Cut the stem from the vine with a sharp garden scissor and leave about 3 inches of stem attached to the fruit.

When buying pumpkins at the market, look for ones that are heavy for their size with bright even color and no bruises, soft spots, or cuts. If you are buying pumpkins for culinary use, be sure you purchase the “sugar” or “pie” varieties. Both culinary and ornamental pumpkins will store well in a dark, cool area such as a basement for up to 6 months.

If you have relied on canned pumpkin for your cooking needs, try using fresh pumpkin puree in some of your favorite sweet and savory recipes. To make fresh pumpkin puree, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick foil and spray it with cooking spray. Cut a sugar/pie pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy interior with a serrated spoon. Lay the pumpkin halves cut side down on the foil and spray the skin side of the pumpkins with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pumpkins can be easily pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven and let the pumpkins cool completely. Scoop out the pulp and puree it in a food processor. You should get one cup of puree for every pound of pumpkin. The puree can be used immediately or frozen in freezer bags or containers for later use. Pumpkin puree has a creamy texture and rich color. It makes beautiful soups and pairs well with pasta and rice. Of course, it’s perfect for pie fillings, cheesecakes, custards, muffins, and quick breads.

Both the ornamental and culinary pumpkin seeds are edible. After removing them from the stringy interior of the pumpkin, wash them in cold water, and place them on a shallow baking pan that has been lined with non-stick foil. Cover the seeds with a paper towel and let them dry for a few days on your kitchen counter. Remove the paper towel, spray the seeds lightly with cooking spray, and roast them at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Let them cool completely and enjoy them as a snack.

While I was cleaning out my freezer this weekend, I found a package of frozen sugar pumpkin puree from last year which I am going to use to make these delicious and healthy pumpkin muffins.

I’m still not sure what to do with my one giant pumpkin. I guess I could carve it myself or, ever the optimist, maybe I’ll just go to the barn, round up a few mice, sit by the fireplace with a cup of tea and a muffin, and wait for my Fairy Godmother to show up.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup golden raisins