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Pumpkins
are an integral part of our Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations. Yet the pumpkin's role is very different for each of these holidays. For Halloween the pumpkin is left in its natural state, as a plant,
and its outer appearance; its size, shape, color, and stem are the
main focus. The taste of its flesh has little importance for
the pumpkin is used as a decoration, not as a food. With the
aid of a scoop and sharp blade the pumpkin is transformed into a
"head".
First the flesh is scooped out and discarded and then
a face is carved into the shell. The finishing touch is to
illuminate the pumpkin "face" by placing a candle inside. In
this form it is known as a Jack-o'-Lantern. The origins
of this name are fairly recent for in the 17th Century,
Jack-o'-Lantern meant a night watchman i.e. a man (named Jack) who
carried a lantern.
Thanksgiving, the holiday that symbolizes home and family, uses the
pumpkin in a totally different way. The shell of the pumpkin,
for this holiday, no longer matters and is discarded. The
flesh is now the focus. In fact, the large field pumpkins used
for Halloween are replaced by the smaller and sweeter varieties. Although the pumpkin is sometimes used for decoration at
Thanksgiving, most importantly, its earthy tasting flesh is
transformed into a puree that is used in the traditional pies and
well as other sweet and savory dishes.
The origin
of the pumpkin and other squashes date back thousands of years.
They are native to America and are from the genus Cururbita. It is believed that Mexico was the first country to cultivate the
pumpkin, mainly for its seeds (pepitas).
In old
English the pumpkin is known as "pumpions" or "pompions". The
origin of the name "pumpkin" is believed to come from the old French
word "pompon", which comes from the classical Greek "pepon". This spherical-shaped, usually orange, winter squash belonging to
the gourd family can range from the size of an apple up to hundreds
of pounds. Its ability to grow to such a large size makes it
the largest fruit in the plant kingdom. Its flat top and base,
hard fluted shell, and thick ridged stem encase a yellow-orange
flesh entwined with flat ivory-colored seeds (called pepitas). The pumpkin's hard outer shell protects its flesh from easily
spoiling. In a cool, dry place they should keep for at least a
month.
Field
pumpkins, with names like Treat-or-Treat and Spirit, are the most popular for making Halloween
Jack-o'-lanterns.
However, their flesh tends to be fibrous and not as tasty for making
puree as the smaller, sweeter Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese
Pumpkin. When choosing pumpkins look for ones that feel solid
and are heavy for their size, free of blemishes, cracks, and soft
spots.
You can buy
excellent brands of canned pure pumpkin or you can make it
yourself. If buying canned pure pumpkin I like to buy
plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has the
spices added already.
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