FAQs
The four common types are Traditional Orange Pumpkins for carving and decorating, Pie Pumpkins for baking, Giant Pumpkins like the Atlantic Giant for competitions, and decorative varieties like the white Lumina or the small Baby Boo for ornamental use.
What is the sweetest type of pumpkin? ›
Kabocha. A popular Japanese variety, the Kabocha has a rough but edible peel, and a round plump shape. It can be dark green or bright orange-red, and has firm, orange flesh. One of the sweetest varieties of pumpkin, its flavour has been compared to sweet potato, while its firm flesh holds together well in the oven.
What is the best type of pumpkin for roasting? ›
We like butternut pumpkins best when they're roasted, but this hardy oblong variety is one of the most versatile options in the pumpkin aisle. Butternuts are a little sweeter, dryer and can be turned into soups, roasted with cinnamon or put to use in most cooked pumpkin dishes.
What are the best pumpkin varieties to grow? ›
Recommended Pumpkin Varieties
Jack Be Little, Wee-B-Little and Baby Bear are small (0.5-1.5 lb) orange fruited types suited for small children. Lumina is a medium (8-14 lb) white-skinned pumpkin used for painting. Big Max and Big Moon can produce fruits that weigh in excess of 200 pounds.
What is the best type of pumpkin to eat? ›
Choose sweet varieties, such as Cinderella and peanut pumpkins if you want to bake pies, quick breads, or other desserts. Turban squash works well in savory dishes.
What is the rarest type of pumpkin? ›
1. Black Futsu – Like a color-changing chameleon, this rare Japanese variety is one of the most unique pumpkins you can grow. Starting out as a greenish-black wart covered fruit, 'Black Futsu' turns chestnut color when mature, but not before transitioning through a grayish-green, moldy-looking stage.
What is the most delicious pumpkin? ›
For cooking, you'll want to use sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins), which are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, are also good to eat. Field pumpkin types are larger, have watery, stringy flesh, and are best for decorating.
What kind of pumpkin to use for pumpkin pie? ›
Sugar Baby Pumpkin
Also known as Sugar Pie pumpkins, these thin-skinned squash are smaller (4-8 lbs.) and have a sweet, dense flesh with a fine-grained, smooth texture. The cooked flesh is a bit drier, which makes a great pie filling.
Do you peel a pumpkin before roasting? ›
No need to peel
For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.
What is the secret to growing a good pumpkin? ›
Pumpkins like it warm
Pumpkins are very sensitive to cold soil and frost, so be sure to wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting. Ideally, the soil temperature should be at least 65°F, and nighttime air temperatures should be consistently above 55°F. Most pumpkins require 90 to 120 days to mature.
Giant pumpkins are Cucurbita maxima, a different species from the pumpkins used for jack-o'-lanterns or pumpkin pies, which are usually C. pepo. C. maxima likely emerged from wild squash in South America near Buenos Aires.
Do pumpkins continue to ripen after picking? ›
As long as a pumpkin has started to turn its mature color, it will continue to ripen off the vine (but it's always best to allow pumpkins to ripen naturally on the vine). Frost harms pumpkins and shortens storage life. Ideally, harvest pumpkins on a dry, sunny day.
What kind of pumpkin is used for Halloween? ›
Howden – These are the famous 'Halloween pumpkins”. It's classic and symmetrical. It gives out the perfect orange hue. Connecticut Field – Oldest and most traditional variety available.
What type of pumpkin grows the biggest? ›
Giant pumpkins are Cucurbita maxima, a different species from the pumpkins used for jack-o'-lanterns or pumpkin pies, which are usually C. pepo.
Are there any types of pumpkins you can't eat? ›
You can eat any variety of pumpkin. Varieties vary wildly in taste. Explore, enjoy and revel in the fact that a pumpkin is not just for Halloween. Whilst you can eat any variety of pumpkin or squash, if it tastes very bitter, stop eating.
Which Halloween pumpkins are edible? ›
Pumpkins typically used for jack-o'-lanterns usually are larger, with stringier pulp and more watery flesh. However, you can still eat the jack-o-lantern variety with fairly good results. If you're buying a pumpkin specifically for eating, the smaller ones are usually the best.