We know fall has arrived when pumpkins begin decorating porches and our favorite pumpkin spice foods appear in stores, including - new this year - Pillsbury pumpkin spice rolls and Philadelphia pumpkin spice cream cheese. Pumpkin pie, and other pumpkin desserts, are favorites at many holiday celebrations.
Diversity among pumpkin varieties is incredible! With sizes ranging from 4 ounces to over 1,000 pounds, various unique shapes, and brilliant colors like orange, yellow, white, green, blue, gray, pink, and tan, there are endless opportunities to select the perfect pumpkin. But with all this “pumpkin abundance”, which is the best to use in baking or cooking?
Choosing the Perfect Pumpkin
If you’re looking for a cooking pumpkin, it's best to select a pie pumpkin, also called sugar or sweet pumpkins. They are usually smaller than jack-o-lantern types with sweeter, denser, less watery flesh. But if you really want to use a jack-o-lantern type pumpkin for cooking you certainly can and should have fairly good results. Just don't plan to cook with a pumpkin after it has been carved and displayed - these should be discarded.
Misshapen or warty specimens are as safe to eat as those which are perfectly round and smooth. Blue pumpkins, white pumpkins and other less common varieties are becoming increasingly popular. Even types which are technically pumpkin-like winter squash, such as Amish Pie, Galeux D’Eysines (a French heirloom cultivar also called the peanut pumpkin), Jarrahdale, Turk’s Turban, Long Island Cheese and Rouge Vif D’Etampes (Cinderella) can be used in cooking and baking.
All-American Selection (AAS) Pumpkins
Look for the following pumpkin cultivars as you shop this fall or consider growing them in your garden next year. As AAS winners, they have been trialed at many sites across the United States and chosen because they outperformed similar cultivars currently on the market in plant health, vigor and ease of production.
- Baby Bear – Small 1.5-2 pound, rich orange fruits are perfect for decorations or cooking. Their orange flesh is fine grained and great for pie filling. Expect 8-10 small fruits per plant. AAS 1993 winner.
- Blue Prince – Vigorous plants produce 7-9 pound flattened fruits with white-blue skin. The flesh is deep orange and non-stringy with a sweet/savory flavor. One judge commented, “Overall, if I was looking for a blue pumpkin to display AND eat, I’d pick this entry every time!” Trailing vines 5 or more feet in length. AAS 2020 winner.
- Cinderella’s Carriage – This updated version of Rouge Vif D’Etampes is vigorous and robust, with higher powdery mildew resistance than its predecessor. The flattened, pumpkin carriage-shaped fruits are pinkish-red, although some lucky gardeners may get a few pale blue fruits, too. Plants have long trailing vines and can be expected to produce 5-7 fruits per plant, 18-20 pounds each. Their flesh is yellow, sweet with a nutty flavor. AAS 2014 winner.
- Orange Smoothie – Small 5-8 pound pumpkins with a long, strong handle. Fruits are early maturing; only about 90 days from seed to harvest. Plants are more compact than many other pumpkins, having a semi-determinate growth habit. Vines reach about 30 inches in length. The pumpkins are round and smooth with only shallow ribs, and sweet orange flesh. AAS 2002 winner.
- Pepitas – Medium sized, 9-12 pound fruits, have beautiful golden orange rinds with dark green streaks; their unusual coloration makes them perfect for decorations and cooking. The powdery mildew resistant plants are vigorous with trailing, spreading vines. Expect 5-6 fruits per plant with pale yellow flesh and bountiful hulless or naked seeds perfect for roasting! AAS 2016 winner.
For more information about these pumpkin cultivars, and other great vegetables for the home garden, visit All-America Selections.
Images from All-America Selections.
- 'Cinderella's Carriage' is an updated version of the Frech heirloom cultivar 'Rouge Vif D'Etampes'.
- 'Pepitas' pumpkins have beautiful golden skin with streaks of dark green.
FAQs
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.
Which pumpkins are good to eat? ›
Even types which are technically pumpkin-like winter squash, such as Amish Pie, Galeux D'Eysines (a French heirloom cultivar also called the peanut pumpkin), Jarrahdale, Turk's Turban, Long Island Cheese and Rouge Vif D'Etampes (Cinderella) can be used in cooking and baking.
Can you use Halloween pumpkins for cooking? ›
Cut the pumpkin in half to make it easier to scoop out the seeds and scrape away the stringy mass. Cut the pumpkin into chunks. Cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, in a pressure cooker, in a microwave or in an oven. Check for doneness by poking with a fork.
Can you eat wicked pumpkin? ›
Pumpkins which are sold around Halloween are edible but aren't as tasty as the ones grown specifically for eating. Carving pumpkins tend to be watery and fibrous, you will be able to see the strands as you carve your pumpkin.
Can you eat raw Halloween pumpkin? ›
Although most people prefer eating them cooked or roasted, you can also eat pumpkin and pumpkin seeds raw. Still, key differences set apart raw and cooked varieties, especially in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value.
Can I use my Halloween pumpkin for pie? ›
Start with the right variety of pumpkins, sugar pumpkins. Large pumpkins that we traditionally think of as jack-o-lanterns aren't ideal for pie as they are very stringy and have a lot of seeds. There really isn't very much “meat” to the larger pumpkins. Sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins, are sweeter.
What can I do with my pumpkin after Halloween? ›
What to do with your pumpkins after Halloween
- Eat the seeds. ...
- Cook the pieces of pumpkin you carve out. ...
- Cook uncarved pumpkins – they also look great in your home! ...
- Feed leftover pumpkin to your chickens. ...
- Compost your pumpkin. ...
- Make a pumpkin bird feeder. ...
- Bury your pumpkin. ...
- Check if local farms are looking for donations.
You can absolutely cook pumpkin the way you would cook any other winter squash. The varieties that are bred primarily for decorative use and Jack-o-lanterns may not be quite as flavorful or might be a bit stringier than pumpkins bred specifically for pies and other culinary uses but they are all edible.
Why are carving pumpkins not edible? ›
"Carving pumpkins have a woody texture and are stringier than pumpkins intended for eating," says Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, CDN. So while they're edible, you'll get a better product (and one that is softer and more moist) by opting for a smaller heirloom pumpkin instead, like the sugar pumpkin.
Are supermarket Halloween pumpkins edible? ›
Many of the large cheap pumpkins available in supermarkets at this time of the year are of varieties that have been bred to grow large for carving. While they are just as edible as any pumpkin, they may not be as tasty. Keep an eye out for smaller pumpkins. The skin on smaller pumpkins is edible…
Pumpkins are so much more than just Halloween decorations. They're tasty, versatile, cheap, nutritious, delicious, grow abundantly in the UK, and can be cooked a thousand ways. Yet, a scary number are thrown away uneaten every year!
Are decorative pumpkins safe to eat? ›
You can absolutely cook pumpkin the way you would cook any other winter squash. The varieties that are bred primarily for decorative use and Jack-o-lanterns may not be quite as flavorful or might be a bit stringier than pumpkins bred specifically for pies and other culinary uses but they are all edible.
Do pumpkins need to cure before eating? ›
Yes, pumpkins can be eaten straight away once harvested, but if you plan to keep them for longer you'll need to cure them first and store them correctly.
Why should you not throw away pumpkins? ›
Pumpkins that end up in landfills have a hard time breaking down because landfills function to store material and don't have much oxygen to allow organics to decompose properly. When organic materials don't have enough oxygen to break down, they release methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment.
Choosing the Perfect Pumpkin
All-American Selection (AAS) Pumpkins