A pile of pumpkins at theFrench Market in New Orleans, LouisianaA variety of pumpkin cultivars. The central and rightmost orange fruits areCucurbita pepo, all others areCucurbita maximaA field of giant pumpkins
Apumpkin is acultivatedwinter squash in the genusCucurbita.[1][2] The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many different squashes of varied appearance and belonging to multiple species in theCucurbita genus.[3]
C. pepo pumpkins are among the oldest known domesticated plants, with evidence of their cultivation dating to between 7000BCE and 5500 BCE. Wild species ofCucurbita and the earliest domesticated species are native toNorth America (parts of present-day northeasternMexico and the southernUnited States), but cultivars are now grown globally for culinary, decorative, and other culturally-specific purposes.[4]
The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp.Pumpkin pie is a traditional part ofThanksgiving meals inCanada and the United States and pumpkins are frequently used as autumnal seasonal decorations and carved asjack-o'-lanterns for decoration aroundHalloween. Commercially canned pumpkinpurée and pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those intended for decorative use.[5]
According to theOxford English Dictionary, the English wordpumpkin derives from theAncient Greek wordπέπων (romanizedpepōn), meaning 'melon'.[6][7] Under this theory, the term transitioned through theLatin wordpeponem and theMiddle French wordpompon to theEarly Modern Englishpompion, which was changed topumpkin by 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States.[6]
There is a proposed alternate derivation forpumpkin from theMassachusett wordpôhpukun, meaning 'grows forth round'.[8] This term could have been used by theWampanoag people (who speak theWôpanâak dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to EnglishPilgrims atPlymouth Colony, located in present-dayMassachusetts.[9] (The English wordsquash is derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed asaskꝏtasquash,[10]ashk8tasqash, or, in the closely relatedNarragansett language,askútasquash.)[11]
Researchers have noted that the termpumpkin and related terms likeayote andcalabaza are applied to a range of winter squash with varying size and shape.[1] The termtropical pumpkin is sometimes used for pumpkin cultivars of the speciesCucurbita moschata.[12]
Pumpkin fruits are a type ofberry known as apepo.[13] Characteristics commonly used to define pumpkin include smooth and slightly ribbed skin[14] and deep yellow to orange color,[14] although white, green, and other pumpkin colors also exist.[15]
WhileCucurbita pepo pumpkins generally weigh between 3 and 8 kilograms (6 and 18 lb),giant pumpkins can exceed atonne in mass.[16][17] Most are varieties ofC. maxima that were developed through the efforts ofbotanical societies and enthusiast farmers.[16] The largestcultivars frequently reach weights of over 34 kg (75 lb). In October 2023, the record for heaviest pumpkin was set at 1,246.9 kg (2,749 lbs.).[18]
Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted by early July in the Northern Hemisphere. Pumpkins require that soil temperatures 8 centimetres (3 in) deep are at least 15.5 °C (60 °F) and that the soil holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water, because of temperatures below 18 °C or 65 °F, or if grown in soils that become waterlogged. Within these conditions, pumpkins are considered hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can quickly grow secondary vines to replace what was removed.[22]
Pumpkins produce both a male and female flower, with fertilization usually performed by bees.[22] In America, pumpkins have historically beenpollinated by the nativesquash bee,Peponapis pruinosa, but that bee hasdeclined, probably partly due topesticide (imidacloprid) sensitivity.[23] Ground-based bees, such as squash bees and theeastern bumblebee, are better suited to manage the larger pollen particles that pumpkins create.[24][25] One hive per acre (0.4 hectares, or five hives per 2 hectares) is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If there are inadequate bees for pollination, gardeners may have tohand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but fail to develop.
In 2022, world production of pumpkins (including squash and gourds) was 23 milliontonnes, with China accounting for 32% of the total. Ukraine, Russia, and the United States each produced about one million tonnes.[26]
As one of the most popular crops in the United States, in 2017 over 680 million kilograms (1.5 billion pounds) of pumpkins were produced.[22] The top pumpkin-producingstates includeIllinois,Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania, andCalifornia.[4] Pumpkin is the state squash ofTexas.[27]
According to theIllinois Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois.[28] Indeed, 41 percent of the overall pumpkin crop for all uses originates in the state, more than five times that of the nearest competitor, California, whose pumpkin industry is centered in theSan Joaquin Valley; and the majority of that comes from five counties in the central part of the state.[29]Nestlé, operating under the brand nameLibby's, produces 85 percent of the processed pumpkin in the United States at their plant inMorton, Illinois.
In the fall of 2009, rain in Illinois devastated theLibby's pumpkin crop, which, combined with a relatively weak 2008 crop depleting that year's reserves, resulted in a shortage affecting the entire country during the Thanksgiving holiday season.[30] Another shortage, somewhat less severe, affected the 2015 crop.[31][32]
The pumpkin crop in the western United States, which constitutes approximately three to four percent of the national crop, is grown primarily for theorganic market.[33]Terry County, Texas, has a substantial pumpkin industry, centered largely on miniature pumpkins.[29] Illinois farmerSarah Frey is called "the Pumpkin Queen of America" and sells around five million pumpkins annually, predominantly for use as Jack-o-lanterns.[34][35]
In a 100-gram (3.5 oz) amount, raw pumpkin provides 110 kilojoules (26 kilocalories) of food energy and is an excellent source (20% or more theDaily Value, DV) of provitamin Abeta-carotene andvitamin A (47% DV) (table).Vitamin C is present in moderate content (10% DV), but no othermicronutrients are in significant amounts (less than 10% DV, table). Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5%carbohydrate, 0.1%fat and 1%protein (table).
Pumpkin pie is a popular way of preparing pumpkinRoasted pumpkin
Most parts of the pumpkin plant are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and the flowers. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted.
In North America, pumpkins are part of the traditional autumn harvest, eaten roasted, asmashed pumpkin[38] and in soups andpumpkin bread.Pumpkin pie is a traditional staple of the Canadian and AmericanThanksgiving holidays.[39] Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use.[40]
A pumpkin flower, one of the edible parts of the plant
In thesouthwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item. They may be used to garnish dishes, or dredged in a batter then fried in oil.
Pumpkin seeds, also known aspepitas, are edible and nutrient-rich. They are about 1.5 cm (0.5 in) long, flat, asymmetrically oval, light green in color and usually covered by a white husk, although some pumpkin varieties produce seeds without them. Pumpkin seeds are a popular snack that can be found hulled or semi-hulled at grocery stores. Per ounce serving, pumpkin seeds are a good source ofprotein,magnesium,copper andzinc.[42]
Pumpkin seed oil is a thick oilpressed from roasted seeds that appears red or green in color.[43][44] When used for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its robust flavor.[45] Pumpkin seed oil containsfatty acids such asoleic acid andalpha-linolenic acid.[46]
Pumpkin seed meal fromCucurbita maxima andCucurbita moschata have been demonstrated to improve the nutrition of eggs for human consumption, andCucurbita pepo seed has successfully been used in place ofsoybean in chicken feed.[47]
In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.[48] The practice of carving produce for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack".[4] The practice of carving pumpkinjack-o'-lanterns for theHalloween season developed from a traditional practice in Ireland as well as Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom of carving lanterns from theturnip,mangelwurzel, orswede (rutabaga).[49][50] These vegetables continue to be popular choices today as carved lanterns in Scotland and Northern Ireland, although the British purchased a million pumpkins for Halloween in 2004 reflecting the spread of pumpkin carving in the United Kingdom.[51]
Immigrants to North America began using the native pumpkins for carving, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips.[50] Not until 1837 doesjack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,[52] and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866.[53]
The traditional American pumpkin used for jack-o-lanterns is theConnecticut field variety.[4][54][55][56] Kentucky field pumpkin is also among the pumpkin cultivars grown specifically for jack-o-lantern carving.[13]
Growers of giant pumpkins often compete to grow the most massive pumpkins. Festivals may be dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions. In the United States, the town ofHalf Moon Bay, California, holds an annualArt and Pumpkin Festival, including the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off.[58]
The record for the world's heaviest pumpkin, 1,247 kg (2,749 lb), was most recently set in 2023.[59]
A festival calledPumpkin Weeks (Kurpitsaviikot) is held every October inSalo, Finland, at which thousands of different-sized pumpkins and carvedjack-o'-lanterns are presented to tourists.[60]
In most folklore the carved pumpkin is meant to scare away evil spirits on All Hallows' Eve (that is, Halloween), when the dead were purported to walk the earth.
The species and varieties include many economically important cultivars with a variety of different shapes, colors, and flavors that are grown for different purposes.Variety is used here interchangeably withcultivar, but not withspecies or taxonomic variety.
Big Max can exceed 100 pounds (45 kg) and 20 in (510 mm) in diameter under ideal growing conditions.[67] The variety was hybridized for its size during the early 1960s.[68] Individual fruits are round to slightly flattened.[69][70]
So-called for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese, this cultivar has been noted for its long storage ability as well as relatively poor culinary characteristics.[73][13] One ofDuchesne's 1786 botanical illustrations depicts a fruit that has been identified with the Cheese Pumpkin.[71]
The oblong, ribbed fruits weigh up to 40 pounds and are widely used for canning. Derived from the Kentucky field pumpkin by Elijah Dickinson when he moved toIllinois in 1835.[76] Libby's Select is classified either as a selection from the Dickinson Pumpkin or a selection from the same parent lineage.[77][78][79][80]
Dill's Atlantic Giant was bred byHoward Dill from sources including theMammoth Pumpkin variety.[81][82] The variety were patented in 1979, who then went on to set thegiant pumpkin in 1980 with a 459 lb (208 kg) record.[83]
The Galeux d'Eysines is mentioned in theVilmorin-Andrieux vegetable catalogueLes Plantes Potagères in 1883. It is noted for peanut-sized growths on its skin, caused by a buildup of sugar. Its name may have originally beenBrodé galeux d'Eysines, translating toembroidered with scabs, fromEysines. Immature pumpkins can be etched with words or designs that become warts as it matures. Galeux d'Eysines was reportedly brought to the United States in 1996 from theFoire aux Potirons pumpkin festival inTranzault, France, by authorAmy Goldman.[84][85]
The Japanese pie pumpkin is so-called because its seeds becomecrazed, resembling to Americans the appearance ofChinese characters orJapanese kanji. This variety was introduced by Samuel Wilson ofPennsylvania in 1884.[13]
A variety with a blue-gray skin, named after the Western Australian town ofJarrahdale. The Jarrahdale closely resembles the Queensland Blue. It cuts easily, and has orange, sweet-tasting flesh.[86][87]
Available commercially as early as 1891 fromLivingston Seed.[13] The nameJonathan may originate as a form ofmelioration against the character ofBrother Jonathan which was sometimes used as mocking personification of the United States by satirists in Europe.[89]Brother Jonathan was also used within the United States either as characterizing the epitome of thrift and industriousness, or an unsophisticatedbumpkin.[90]
Kabocha is the general Japanese word for winter squashes.[91][92] In English, the term "kabocha" is usually used for a green-skinned cultivar derived frombuttercup squash.
Kentucky field pumpkin is among the pumpkin cultivars grown specifically for jack-o-lantern carving.[73] It has been classified as part of a group ofCucurbita moschata cultivars historically grown by theSeminole people of the United States southeast, as well as by farmers inLouisiana,Alabama, andMississippi. Similar cultivars were identified inCuba as well as coastal and southernMexico.[93]
Musquée de Provence, Moscata di Provenza or fairytale pumpkin
A landrace originally cultivated by theSeminole people of what is nowFlorida. Naturalists in the 18th century recorded Seminole pumpkins growing with their vines hanging from trees.[95][96]
Styrian pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo subsp.pepo var.styriaca or var.oleifera) have hull-less seeds, which are used inAustria andSlovenia as part of apumpkin seed oil industry that presses their roasted seeds.[97][98]
The sugar pumpkin is one of the earliest varieties of pumpkin documented by European colonists upon arrival in North America. It has sweeter flesh than the similar but largerConnecticut Field pumpkin from which sugar pumpkins may have been selected.[13]
^abcFerriol, María; Picó, Belén (2008)."Pumpkin and Winter Squash".Vegetables I. Handbook of Plant Breeding. Vol. 1. New York: Springer. p. 317.doi:10.1007/978-0-387-30443-4_10.ISBN978-0-387-72291-7.The common terms "pumpkin", "squash", "gourd", "cushaw", "ayote", "zapallo", "calabaza", etc. are often applied indiscriminately to different cultivated species of the New World genusCucurbita L. (Cucurbitaceae):C. pepo L.,C. maxima Duchesne,C. moschata Duchesne,C. argyrosperma C. Huber andC. ficifolia Bouché.
^United States Agricultural Research Service. Crops Research Division (1969).Growing pumpkins and squashes [Rev. June 1969. National Agricultural Library U. S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
^abcAstill, Gregory (2018)."Pumpkins: Background & Statistics". United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. RetrievedDecember 2, 2018.
^Canto-Aguilar, M.L.; Parra-Tabla, V. (2000). "Importance of Conserving Alternative Pollinators: Assessing the Pollination Efficiency of the Squash Bee,Peponapis limitaris inCucurbita moschata (Cucurbitaceae)".Journal of Insect Conservation.4 (3):201–208.Bibcode:2000JICon...4..201C.doi:10.1023/A:1009685422587.S2CID9891755.
^Tepedino, V. J. (April 1981). "The pollination efficiency of the squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera) on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo)".Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society.54 (2):359–377.JSTOR25084168.
^Stavely, Keith W.F. and Fitzgerald, Kathleen.America's Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.ISBN0-8078-2894-7
^Tyler Herbst, Sharon (2001)."Pumpkin-Seed Oil".The New Food Lover's Companion (3rd ed.). Barron. p. 550. RetrievedFebruary 14, 2008.[dead link]
^Bavec F, Grobelnik Mlakar S, Rozman Č, Bavec M (2007)."Oil Pumpkins: Niche for Organic Producers"(PDF).Issues in new crops and new uses. Purdue University Agriculture, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. RetrievedSeptember 2, 2012.
^Daily News (Kingston, Ontario), November 1, 1866:
The old time custom of keeping up Hallowe'en was not forgotten last night by the youngsters of the city. They had their maskings and their merry-makings, and perambulated the streets after dark in a way [that] was no doubt amusing to themselves. There was a great sacrifice of pumpkins from which to make transparent heads and face, lighted up by the unfailing two inches of tallow candle.
^Richardson, R. W."Squash and Pumpkin"(PDF). United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 24, 2015. RetrievedNovember 23, 2014.
^Xiao, S. H.; Keiser, J.; Chen, M. G.; Tanner, M.; Utzinger, J. (2010). "Research and Development of Antischistosomal Drugs in the People's Republic of China a 60-year review".Advances in Parasitology.73:231–295.doi:10.1016/S0065-308X(10)73009-8.PMID20627145.
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