Pumpkin Varieties (2024)

FAQs

Pumpkin Varieties? ›

Depending on their purpose, some are orange, some are green, some have different colored guts—and they are all used differently. There are over 150 different varieties of pumpkins in the world today!

Depending on their purpose, some are orange, some are green, some have different colored guts—and they are all used differently. There are over 150 different varieties of pumpkins in the world today!

Galeux d'Eysines Pumpkin

Also known as “Peanut Pumpkin,” this French heirloom is super sweet and wonderful for eating. The “peanuts” on the flesh are signs of the sweetness within. These lumps and bumps are where the sugars have burst through the skin and formed a rough patch.

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.

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.

maxima. Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds hold the world record for giant pumpkins, and produce the largest fruit in the plant kingdom. Bred in eastern Canada by Howard Dill, Atlantic Giant can reach 1,000 lbs or more! The record is 2,624.6 lbs - updated for 2020!

Kent Pumpkins

Also known as Jap pumpkins, these sweet varieties are perfect for salads and baked dishes. They're not entirely orange, boasting more of a mottled grey and green exterior, with darker yellow flesh.

The faster maturing pumpkins are fully colored in 90 to 100 days, while some, like the deeply lobed 'Musquee De Provence' pumpkin, take up to 125 days to mature. The miniature 'Jack Be Little' pumpkin matures in as little as 85 days.

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.

Dickinson pumpkins, also known as Dickinson squash, are the pumpkins used to make the majority of canned pumpkin we eat today. But Dickinson pumpkins are tan pumpkins with uniform, smooth skin that are much larger than the average field pumpkin. They're also sometimes called squash, not pumpkins.

What is the most flavorful pumpkin? ›

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.

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.

Casperita Pumpkin

Part of the 'Munchkin' family, the Casperitas are dainty, pretty pumpkins, perfect for table decor. Not only do they look great, but they have a lovely sweet flavour and are thought to be the tastiest pumpkin you can eat.

Kent Pumpkins

Also known as Jap pumpkins, these sweet varieties are perfect for salads and baked dishes. They're not entirely orange, boasting more of a mottled grey and green exterior, with darker yellow flesh.

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

1) A winter squash, not a pumpkin, butternut pumpkins are related to cucumbers, squash and melons. 2) Root to stem eating – the flesh, skin, seeds and even the flowers on the pumpkin vine can be eaten.

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.