Pumpkin

Varieties

Pumpkins have the longest history of any of the members of the marrow/squash family.

Pumpkins are round, ribbed and flatish at the top and bottom. It has a very tough skin and, depending on the variety, a yellow, orange or green skin.

-The bright red “Étampes” pumpkin is the most common. Very large and a red/orange colour, it has a thick, orangey flesh.

-The bronze “Montlhéry” pumpkin is a greenish brown and ribbed.

-The yellow pumpkin has a salmon yellow skin that splits at maturity.

-The Spanish green pumpkin is fairly rare.

Vegetable garden: growing pumpkin

Pumpkins are a garden vegetable, a relative of the squash family, of which we eat the enormous fruits with orange skin, which weigh up to 100 kg (competitions are organised in which the growers of the biggest pumpkins are awarded prizes). The average weight is around 15 kg.

Sown after the end of the frosts, pumpkins are harvested from October to December. It needs a considerable amount of organic matter to grow.

In summer, it produces pretty yellow flowers that turn into fruit.

Production

The biggest producers of pumpkins are China and India.

Consumption

The pumpkin is a highly economical vegetable that can be eaten in soups, as a gratin, in puree form, or in tarts.  

Nutritional values (per 100 g) 

Nutritionist’s advice

Pumpkin is low in calories: it supplies 26 kcalories per 100 g, just a little more than chicory and lettuce!

What is about portions...?

-a child portion : fist-sized piece

-an adult portion : two fist-sized pieces

Cooking and nutrition: tasty combinations

-Pumpkin soup: Cook the pumpkin with onions, parsley, chevril, then season with a little butter or crème fraîche. This nutritional dish is filled with fibre and vitamins

-Pumpkin tart: Cut the pumpkin into cubes and cook with a little onion and thyme, then add the beaten eggs (yolk and whites) with a dash of milk and cook in the oven like a cake. A festival of calcium, fibre and vitamins!

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