A guide to different types of pumpkin | The Neff Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the different types of pumpkins? ›

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.

Sugar pumpkins

Also known as pie pumpkins or sweet pumpkins, the sugar pumpkin is perfect for pies because they aren't as stringy and contain less water than other pumpkins. As their name indicates, the sugar pumpkin can be quite sweet compared to other pumpkins.

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.

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.

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.

“Iran” is the rarest pumpkin we grow. It was first cataloged by the United States Department of Agriculture from seed collected in 1940 at Torbat-e-Heydariyeh, in north eastern Iran. The seed remained in storage until the 1990's when it was rescued by seed-man Glenn Drowns.

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.

Green pumpkin

At this point, you have a decision to make. You can either eat them as they are, or try a few gardener's tricks to ripen them a little more. Green pumpkins are edible, but they will lack the sweetness of a fully ripe pumpkin, so we don't recommend making green pumpkin pie.

When shopping for pumpkins, look for the ones usually generically labeled “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins.” Some specific names are Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina (which are white), Cinderella, and Fairy Tale.

“Pumpkin soup is best made with your good, old-fashioned varieties like butternut or Queensland blue — the harder pumpkins,” she says. “Soft fleshed pumpkins can make the soup a little watery. They are a different beast… from your standard greengrocer pumpkin.”

What pumpkins do you bake with? ›

The best type of pumpkin for cooking and baking

Instead, I recommend using a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (pictured above). During the fall and winter seasons, most stores will have them available. Try to pick pumpkins between 3-6 pounds — that's usually when the flesh is best.

Pick a pumpkin with firm, hard skin all over. Bruised, soft skin my lead to rotting. Visual imperfections are usually fine so long as the skin is firm, as pumpkin skin is hard and protects the flesh. The stem should still be attached and feel firm and dry.

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.

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.

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.

Giant pumpkins are Cucurbita maxima, a different species from the pumpkins used for jack-o'-lanterns or pumpkin pies, which are usually C. pepo.

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.

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.