October, 2001

October marks the beginning of harvest time, which means you can look forward to a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

It may surprise most people to learn that there are actually two different kinds of pumpkins. There are the regular field pumpkins used for carving jack-o'-lanterns, and then there are Small Sugar New England pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins.

What's the difference? You remember scooping out your Halloween pumpkin and seeing the unappetizing stringy stuff inside. Sugar pumpkins have more fruitlike, sweeter-tasting flesh. The sugar pumpkins are smaller and darker orange. However, you can use the larger jack-o'-lantern variety with fair results.

Another pumpkin variety used in cooking is the Winter Luxury.

Why do we eat pumpkins? The bright orange color, like the bright orange color in carrots, indicates that pumpkins are high in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which may protect against heart disease, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, and fight aging. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc.

You can steam pumpkins, as the Native Americans did, spice them with nutmeg, and serve them as a side dish. You can substitute pumpkin for your favorite squash variety. We also suggest using a blender to combine pumpkins with fruits such as apples and rhubarb to create pie filling.

You can also dry pumpkin flesh, in the oven or in a dehydrator, and grind the pumpkin in a grain mill. You can substitute pumpkin flour for some of the flour in your baked goods.