Any way you slice them, pumpkins and, in fact, all members of the hard-shelled winter squashes are splendid prepared fresh from the garden or frozen, as well as stored for winter in a cool dark place.
All winter squashes are easy to grow.
Gardeners living in the high elevations or north must remember not to plant any members of the squash family until late spring or early summer when the soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees. Plant beneath floating row covers if the soil is not warm enough or if the nighttime temperatures are still below 60 degrees. In the low desert, plant in late summer for winter harvest, for the coast, plant early spring for fall harvest. We recommend growing squash along a drip irrigation system in the dry regions, timed to come on daily for about 20 minutes to keep the plants well supplied with water. Thin to one strong plant per hill.