Pumpkins
Featured Recipes: Gardening Tips: Cooking Tip:
The Frost Is on the Pumpkin
I’d be happy just to grow Rouge d’Étampes pumpkins for their
beauty alone, but they also make heavenly, velvety soups. Since
they often grow quite large, I cut them up into large chunks,
blanch briefly in boiling water, then wrap the chunks
individually in foil and put them in the freezer for a
winter-long supply. |
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Easy to grow Pumpkins are best direct-sown in well-draining, fertile, 60 F soil, two weeks past the last spring frost date with plenty of room to ramble. To win a prize for size, incorporate massive amounts of compost and/or well-rotted manure into the patch. Ease up on watering towards maturity to avoid watery flesh. Harvest with a sharp knife, leaving 2” of stem when leaves wither or skin is hard enough to resist piercing with your thumbnail. Cure, leaving outdoors in sun for ten days, or in a warm, dry room for four to five days, then store in a cool, dry place. Besides jack-o-lanterns and pie with whipped cream, pumpkin is big in world cuisine now: Italians adore pumpkin-filled pasta. How about Basque soup with cabbage, garlic and dried beans or an exotic and spicy Moroccan pork and pumpkin tagine?
Average seed life: 2 years
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#3700 Rouge d'Etampes Pumpkins: 120-130 days
This unique variety is also called ‘Cinderella’, having been made famous by that slipper-wearing lady as her transportation of choice. A slightly flattened and dramatically lobed member of the Cucurbita family, Rouge d’Etampes is a treasured heirloom from France. This pumpkin is an intense auburn-red color. On average, each sprawling vine produces four to six pumpkins, averaging 15” diameter and weighing 15 to 20 pounds. Rouge d’Etampes is ideal for cooking; the flesh is thick and firm, the seed cavity is small and it has more flavor than most pumpkins. Enjoy Rouge d’Etampes’ rich, savory sweetness as it melts into risotto made with Arborio rice, sage leaves and freshly grated parmigiano. (OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.35
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#3705 Fairytale Pumpkins: 90-110 days
Similar to the Cinderella Pumpkin, Fairytale is as beautiful as it is
delicious. AKA Musque de Provence, this 1899 heirloom is a squat, deeply
lobed
beauty from the south of France. Looking a bit like a sculpted wheel of
cheesewith a strong handle, it ranges from 12” to 18” in diameter and up to
20
pounds. It ripens from luscious green to magnificent shades of burnt sienna
on
10’-long vines. Fairytale has an exceedingly long shelf life~perfect for
envy-of-the-neighborhood fall vignettes. Its deep orange flesh is dense and
makes great pumpkin puree for Thanksgiving pies, or European classics
tweaked
with a dollop of Fairytale goodness. How about Fairytale Creme Caramel,
Fairytale Cheesecake or Fairytale Panna Cotta with Calvados Sauce? You must
try
these recipes: they are sure to become new family favorites. (OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.45
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#3720 Wee Be Little Baby Pumpkin: 120 days
The perfect variety for the children’s garden, these petite pumpkins weigh in at one half to one pound. Wee Be Little is produced on a bush, taking up less space than the big, rambling types. Eight feet is enough to grow loads of little pumpkins, perfect for carving by young ones. The breeders have thought of everything, for the flesh is thick, tasty and sweet, making Wee Be Little great for pumpkin muffins, breads or pies and they store especially well.
Seed specialist Lance Frazon’s daughter Shaylynn made a
wonderful pumpkin cake with a recipe she was given at
school. The whole family was delighted with the results of
9-year old Shay’s culinary prowess (with her father’s
supervision). Here we go: in a large mixing bowl, slowly
beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree, 4 eggs and 1 cup
vegetable oil. In another bowl, whisk together 1 2/3 cup
sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1
teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon
salt. Slowly, add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture
in three parts, mixing to just combine into a smooth batter.
Pour it into an ungreased 13” x 9” pan. Bake at 350°F for 25
to 30 minutes. Cool the cake to room temperature and top
with your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. Here is
Shay’s favorite frosting: beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree
and an 8-ounce bar of softened cream cheese. Add 2 cups
confectioner’s sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg~slowly
beat until creamy. Fold in a cup of freshly whipped cream
until blended. Frost and enjoy!
(OP.)
Packet of 12 Seeds / $3.45
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#3730 Spooktacular Pie Pumpkins: 85 days
A terrific little pumpkin for baking and Halloween carving, dark orange
Spooktacular matures very early in a perfectly round, Jack-O-Lantern shape.
Weighing in at three to four pounds, it is 5" to 6" around with a
well-attached, vine handle. Vigorous and productive, the fruits store well
for long periods and are valued for their smooth, fine-grained flesh and
superb flavor. Great for
pumpkin pies and Moroccan pork and pumpkin tagines. (F1.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.45
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#3735 New England Pie Pumpkins: 100-105 days
AKA Small Sugar. An 1863 American heirloom, New England Pie is the best variety for small jack-o’-lanterns and pie making. It yields loads of 8” to 10” wide, bright orange pumpkins weighing in at just five to eight pounds. Unsurpassed for use in pies, soups, stews and roasted vegetable platters, New England Pie has quintessential sweet, fine-grained, stringless, thick yellow flesh. (OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.05
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#3740 Cotton Candy Pumpkins: 110 days
We’re sorry that we can not shock you with the
introduction of a cotton-candy pink pumpkin. We can,
however, attest to the fact that our sweet Cotton Candy
Pumpkin is a glossy, milky-white color unique among the
pumpkin family! Cotton Candy produces loads of lustrous,
milky-white skinned pumpkins on sturdy, medium-sized vines.
A classic pumpkin shape, Cotton Candy is a slightly ribbed
oval growing from 5 to 12 pounds. It is perfect for
Halloween painting and carving as well as for use in the
kitchen: its milky-white meat is sweet and most tasty.
Quarter it, roast it until soft and puree it for
mouth-watering pumpkin cheesecake, creme caramel or a spicy
pumpkin-mango mousse. (Substitute part of the sour cream or
yogurt with one third pumpkin puree and make sure to add a
bit of grated nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.) (OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.45
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#3750 Long Island Cheese Pumpkins: 90-100 days
Named for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese, this classic American heirloom dates back to the early 1800s when it was the favored variety for sweet pumpkin pies. Weighing in at six to ten pounds, it has smooth, ribbed, pale cheese colored skin and exalted, sweet deep-orange flesh. Easy to grow, it is cold-tolerant and an amazingly long-keeper: some claim that they have stored this long-lasting beauty for up to a year! A great addition to the pumpkin patch. (OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.55
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#3755 Flat White Boer Ford Pumpkins: 110-120 days
New!
As in many parts of the world, pumpkin is a staple in South Africa, where this is the variety of choice. Treasured for its bright orange flesh, sweet flavor and firm, slightly dry texture, this heirloom pumpkin has a flattened oval shape and a tough, creamy-white rind that makes it a legendary keeper. Give the plants lots of room as they’re both vigorous and prolific.
(OP.)
Packet of 15 Seeds / $3.65
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#3760 Gooligan White Baby Pumpkins: 90-100 days
One heck of a cute little white pumpkin, Gooligan will
be almost anything you want. Your children can paint faces
on them, you can use them for tabletop or mantle fall
decorations and you can bake or roast them in much the same
way as you would miniature acorn squash. Easy-to-grow
Gooligan produces vigorous vines with oodles of perfect
little white orbs that range in size from ¼ to 1 pound.
Since the fruits are so small, only up to 6” in diameter, it
may be trellised where it looks like hanging garden jewelry.
Try baking this Gooligan whole: cut off a lid, scoop out its
few seeds and add maple syrup, brown sugar and butter onto
which you float a fresh sage leaf. Put its lid back on and
bake at 350°F until its steaming pale orange flesh is tender
when fork-pierced. Absolute ambrosia with only a little bit
of guilt. (F1)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.65
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#3770 Jaune Gros de Paris Pumpkins: 100-120 days
This “Large Yellow of Paris Pumpkin” is the original giant pumpkin from which all giant pumpkins have since descended. This gargantuan French heirloom can weigh in at 100 pounds, but normally tips the scale at about 25 pounds. An old-fashioned, rustic beauty, it is a flattened, globe-shaped pumpkin with little ribbing and thick, yellow to orange-green skin. The original icon for fall decoration, its rich orange-yellow flesh is baked, pureed and used extensively in France for a lovely golden-yellow stock in rich, soul-warming soups. It may be used in all of your favorite recipes for pumpkins and winter squash. (OP.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.45
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#3780 Howden's Field Pumpkins: 115 days
A true jack-o’-lantern pumpkin, Howden’s Field Pumpkin is the industry standard for productive pumpkin harvests. One terrific carving pumpkin, it has long, productive vines and large, uniform fruits that grow up to 25 pounds. The fruits have attractive, deeply-ridged, resonant orange skin and wonderful dark green stem “handles”. Primarily a decorative pumpkin, its baked flesh can also be used for pies and soups. (OP.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $3.05
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#3790 Bob's Designer Pumpkin Mixture: 100-120 days
This exciting, rare mixture is from Bob Koennders at Michigan’s Backyard Bouquet Farm. After 10
years of work, Bob’s special mixture contains unique
varieties with ornate patterns, colors, shapes and sizes
that bare little semblance to their pumpkin parents. You may
see a green pumpkin with a ghost’s orange silhouette, and
pumpkins ranging from long, tall 25-pounders to stackable 3-
to 5-pounders. Their strong, attached, curved stems are usually 6" to 10" long.
These one-of-a-kind beauties store much better and longer than typical pumpkins due to their high density
and thick walls. (OP.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $4.95
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