This big edible ball pumpkin might come in as many types and variants, but the first thing its strikes in our minds is Halloween.
Pumpkins come in various sizes and are usually orange in color. Just for factual knowledge the largest pumpkin ever had a circumference of 15 feet and 6 inches and weighed 1810 pounds and 8 ounces.
These belong to the family of gourds, and often it is a topic of debate as to whether these cutesy edible balls are veggies or fruits.
One of the best features of pumpkins is the fact the flowers, leaves, seeds, shell and obviously, the flesh is all edible. These giant orange balls are a great source of nutrition and not just attracting and eye pleasing.
No matter what part of the world you are in some type of pumpkin will always be available for your consumption.
Types of Pumpkins
The various varieties of pumpkin available are:
1) Jack – Be – Little
These pumpkins are just adorable to look at. They grow around 3 inches in diameter.
2) Gourd General
This is the commonly cultivated variety of Pumpkin.
3) Spaghetti Squash
One of the best and most delicious pumpkin types is spaghetti squash.
4) The First Pumpkin
They are used as pumpkin pies and are also used majorly for cow feeds as well.
5) Jack – O – Lanterns
These are just perfect for carving. They are medium in size and take around 90 – 120 days to mature.
6) Crown Prince
These pumpkins are perfect for long storage. They have rich orange flesh and light bluish white skin.
7) Valenciano Lumina
It finds its major usage in carvings in U.S.A during Halloweens.
8) Sugar Pie
These pumpkins are used for baking due to their sweetness and weigh around 6 – 7 pounds.
9) Peruvian Pumpkin
These have a shape of an acorn and green colored surface. These pumpkins have deep yellow flesh.
10) Baby Boo
These pumpkins are extremely white. They are rightly referred to as babies due to their perfect miniature size.
11) German Gelber Zentler
It is a native of Europe and grows very well in temperate climates.
12) Prize Winner
These pumpkins are huge in size and can weigh up to 75 – 1500 pounds and can grow heavier if taken care of.
13) New Moon
Large bright pumpkin with thick white flesh. It usually weighs around 35 – 75 pounds.
14) Sweet Dumpling
These pumpkins are sweet to taste with ribbed gray-green color.
15) Acorn
These have beautiful colors and are best for decoration. It has a wonderfully delicate and nutty flavor.
16) Turkish Turbans
These pumpkins are mostly orange and green and are great for baking and stuffing.
17) Goosebumps
These are just the perfect Halloween pumpkins. They are smooth and develop warts as we move down on their skin.
18) Muscat Pumpkin
These pumpkins are ribbed and green on the surface and are excellent for raw consumption. They have a sweet flesh.
19) Porcelain Doll
These pumpkins have a beautiful pinkish hue to them. They can very well be used for baking and cooking.
20) Sweet Potatoes
These pumpkins are ideal for cooking and can also be consumed raw.
21) Kamo Kamo
These pumpkins are best for subtle decorations or making beautifully textured pumpkins.
22) Hungarian Blue Pumpkin
This ash gray pumpkin with dense flesh is best suited for long storage purpose.
23) Lumina Pumpkin
These pumpkins are great for decorations and carvings for Halloween.
24) Pumpkin Hokkaido
It is one of the most delicate vegetables with an amazingly sweet taste. It ranges from shades of yellow to dark orange.
25) Red and Green Hokkaido
It has an excellent flesh and has a pear-like shape. These two are further also categorized as:
- Buttercup bonbon
- The chestnut Pumpkin and
- Hokkaido
26) Hull-less Pumpkin
These pumpkins have seeds which are famous for their woody husks. They should be dried well, and their consumption helps in controlling cholesterol and managing blood pressure.
27) Iron Cup
These pumpkins can be stored for a long time and have a green surface with orange in the middle.
28) Marina Di Chioggia
These pumpkins have dark gray-green flesh and very tasty flesh.
29) The Big Boys
These pumpkins are almost the size of a monster. They are so large that in some places boats are carved out of pumpkins and races are also held.
30) Decorative Pumpkins
There are many varieties of Pumpkins which are used for decorative purpose only like the crookneck, pumpkin Lagenaria Cobra, and gray autumn wings.
31) Casperita
These pumpkins are bright white and smooth texture.
32) Cinderella
They are bright in color and round yet flattened in shape. These pumpkins are sweet, moist and great for cooking pies.
33) Munchkin
These pumpkins are perfectly orange in color.
34) Sweetie Pie
These Scalloped pumpkins are medium in size and orange in color.
35) Tiger
These pumpkins have orange and yellow mottling on them. These are usually flat and deep in color which fades slowly.
36) Warty Goblin
These oval shaped pumpkins are perfectly hard-shelled with bright orange skin.
37) Galeux D’Eysines
These types of pumpkins have warts of the size of a peanut on their skin and these are nice and sweet to eat.
These were the various commonly heard of and used pumpkins. Mentioned below are some more varieties which are not that common:
- Aladdin
- American Tonda
- Festival Pumpkins
- Flat White Boer Ford
- Blue Doll
- Knucklehead
- Long Island Cheese
- New England Cheddar
- Lumina
- Green Fairytale
- Amish Pie
- Hybrid Pam
- Crystal Star
- Red-orange Pumpkins
- Orangita F1
- Howden Pumpkin
- Big max
- Charisma
- Cushaw Varieties
- Howden Biggie
- Cotton Candy
- Jarrahdale
- Hooligan
- Kakai
- Mandy
- Rock Star
- Wolf
- Wee-be-little
Health Benefits of Pumpkins
Pumpkins are not just decorative or edible, but the consumption of pumpkins is also beneficial for our health.
The benefits of consuming pumpkin are:
1) A cup of diced Pumpkins has double the required intake of Vitamin A which promotes good eyesight and improves vision.
2) Pumpkins are rich Potassium which helps in regulating and lowering blood pressure.
3) Tryptophan is present in pumpkins which helps in regulating your sleep and makes you feel relaxed.
4) Pumpkins help in weight loss as pumpkins make you feel fuller for longer due to their high fiber content.
5) Pumpkins have some content of vitamin C which helps in boosting immunity.
6) Pumpkins help in preventing the risk of cancer as they are rich in zinc and beta-carotene.
7) Pumpkins are great for skin. The Vitamin A and C present in pumpkins help in maintaining smooth skin and also increase the collagen production and thus, add a glow to our skin.
8) Pumpkins help in improving the pre-menopausal health in women. It helps in relief from symptoms like a headache, Hot Flashes, and joint pains.
Conclusion
Pumpkins thus, are not just cute to look at but offer an array of benefits. Their various shapes, structures, and sizes are appealing to the eye and appetizing for the stomach. This orange ball of health should be a part of our daily diet routines for a healthy mind, body, and soul.