Pumpkin

Apumpkinis acultivatedwinter squashin the genusCucurbita.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 theCucurbitagenus.
The use of the word "pumpkin" is thought to have originated inNew Englandin North America, derived from a word formelon, or a native word for round. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash", and is commonly used for some cultivars ofCucurbita argyrosperma,Cucurbita ficifolia,Cucurbita maxima,Cucurbita moschata, andCucurbita pepo.
C. pepopumpkins are among the oldest known domesticated plants, with evidence of their cultivation dating to between 7000BCEand 5500 BCE. Wild species ofCucurbitaand the earliest domesticated species are native toNorth America(parts of present-day northeasternMexicoand the southernUnited States), but cultivars are now grown globally for culinary, decorative, and other culturally-specific purposes.
The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp.Pumpkin pieis a traditional part ofThanksgivingmeals inCanadaand the United States and pumpkins are frequently used as autumnal seasonal decorations and carved asjack-o'-lanternsfor decoration aroundHalloween. Commercially canned pumpkinpuréeand pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those intended for decorative use.
According to theOxford English Dictionary, the English wordpumpkinderives from theAncient Greekwordπέπων(romanizedpepōn), meaning 'melon'.Under this theory, the term transitioned through theLatinwordpeponemand theMiddle Frenchwordpomponto theEarly Modern Englishpompion, which was changed topumpkinby 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States.
There is a proposed alternate derivation forpumpkinfrom theMassachusett wordpôhpukun, meaning 'grows forth round'.This term could have been used by theWampanoagpeople (who speak theWôpanâakdialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to EnglishPilgrimsatPlymouth Colony, located in present-dayMassachusetts.(The English wordsquashis derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed asaskꝏtasquash,ashk8tasqash, or, in the closely relatedNarragansett language,askútasquash.)
Researchers have noted that the termpumpkinand related terms likeayoteandcalabazaare applied to a range of winter squash with varying size and shape.The termtropical pumpkinis sometimes used for pumpkin cultivars of the speciesCucurbita moschata.
Pumpkin fruits are a type ofberryknown as apepo.Characteristics commonly used to define pumpkin include smooth and slightly ribbed skinand deep yellow to orange color,although white, green, and other pumpkin colors also exist.
WhileCucurbita pepopumpkins generally weigh between 3 and 8 kilograms (6 and 18 lb),giant pumpkinscan exceed atonnein mass.Most are varieties ofC. maximathat were developed through the efforts ofbotanical societiesand enthusiast farmers.The largestcultivarsfrequently 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.).
The oldest evidence ofCucurbita pepoare pumpkin fragments found inMexicothat are dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC.Pumpkins and other squash species, alongsidemaizeandbeans, feature in theThree Sistersmethod ofcompanion plantingpracticed by manyNorth American indigenous societies.However, larger modern pumpkin cultivars are typically excluded, as their weight may damage the other crops.Within decades after Europeans began colonizing North America, illustrations of pumpkins similar to the modern cultivarsSmall Sugar pumpkinandConnecticut Field pumpkinwere published in Europe.
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.
Pumpkins produce both a male and female flower, with fertilization usually performed by bees.In America, pumpkins have historically beenpollinatedby the nativesquash bee,Peponapis pruinosa, but that bee hasdeclined, probably partly due topesticide(imidacloprid) sensitivity.Ground-based bees, such as squash bees and theeastern bumblebee, are better suited to manage the larger pollen particles that pumpkins create.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.
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.The top pumpkin-producingstatesincludeIllinois,Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania, andCalifornia.Pumpkin is the state squash ofTexas.
According to theIllinois Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois.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.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'spumpkin 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.Another shortage, somewhat less severe, affected the 2015 crop.
The pumpkin crop in the western United States, which constitutes approximately three to four percent of the national crop, is grown primarily for theorganicmarket.Terry County, Texas, has a substantial pumpkin industry, centered largely on miniature pumpkins.Illinois farmerSarah Freyis called "the Pumpkin Queen of America" and sells around five million pumpkins annually, predominantly for use as Jack-o-lanterns.
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-caroteneandvitamin A(47% DV) (table).Vitamin Cis present in moderate content (10% DV), but no othermicronutrientsare in significant amounts (less than 10% DV, table). Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5%carbohydrate, 0.1%fatand 1%protein(table).
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 pumpkinand in soups andpumpkin bread.Pumpkin pieis a traditional staple of the Canadian and AmericanThanksgivingholidays.Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use.
In thesouthwestern United Statesand 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 leaves are also eaten inZambia, where they are calledchibwabwaand are boiled and cooked withgroundnutpaste as a side dish.
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,copperandzinc.
Pumpkin seed oil is a thick oilpressedfrom roasted seeds that appears red or green in color.When used for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its robust flavor.Pumpkin seed oil containsfatty acidssuch asoleic acidandalpha-linolenic acid.
Pumpkin seed meal fromCucurbita maximaandCucurbita moschatahave been demonstrated to improve the nutrition of eggs for human consumption, andCucurbita peposeed has successfully been used in place ofsoybeanin chicken feed.
In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.The practice of carving produce for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack".The practice of carving pumpkinjack-o'-lanternsfor theHalloweenseason 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).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.
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.Not until 1837 doesjack-o'-lanternappear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866.
The traditional American pumpkin used for jack-o-lanterns is theConnecticut fieldvariety.Kentucky field pumpkin is also among the pumpkin cultivars grown specifically for jack-o-lantern carving.
Pumpkin chunkingis a competitive activity in which teams build various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible.Catapults,trebuchets,ballistasandair cannonsare the most common mechanisms.
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.
The record for the world's heaviest pumpkin, 1,247 kg (2,749 lb), was most recently set in 2023.
A festival calledPumpkin Weeks(Kurpitsaviikot) is held every October inSalo, Finland, at which thousands of different-sized pumpkins and carvedjack-o'-lanternsare presented to tourists.
Pumpkins have been used asfolk medicinebyNative Americansto treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments, and this Native American remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as ananthelminticfor the expulsion of worms.In Germany and southeastern Europe, seeds ofC. pepowere also used as folk remedies to treat irritable bladder andbenign prostatic hyperplasia.
In China,C. moschataseeds were also used intraditional Chinese medicinefor the treatment of the parasitic diseaseschistosomiasisand for the expulsion oftape worms.
There is a connection in folklore and popular culture between pumpkins and the supernatural, such as:
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.Varietyis used here interchangeably withcultivar, but not withspeciesor taxonomic variety.