Real pumpkin?

[soappedaler]

The vegetable stand near my house is selling "sugar pumkins" they are light skined and round but some have a bit of a neck like a butternut squash. I love fresh "pumpkin" but am wondering if what is labeled as a pumpkin isn't a type of winter squash. How can you tell a true pumpkin from a winter squash that may be labeled pumkin, so many hybrid veggies out there now?
Pumpkin is o.k for induction but winter squash not until later.

[Heidi3]

Re: Real pumpkin?

I would stick with what you are sure of during induction I know there are so many hybrids now it is hard to be sure ..do I personally think that something awful will happen if you use a hybrid vs a real pumpkin ...nope .....I bet it will be yummy actually ..I adore winter squash full of vit A

[not2late]

Re: Real pumpkin?

A sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin looks like this:


They're not huge like those jack-o'lantern things in the market. This site has pumpkins/squashes, their descriptions/uses and pics.
http://www.thenurseryatmountsi.com/pumpkin.htm

Another site with more pumpkin info.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/Pumpkins/varieties.html

I love fresh pumpkin. So many things you can do with it like pumpkin chips, pumpkin fries/homefries. One of the local supermarkets has those mini pumpkins on sale this week....went this morning but none were in the store and I tried 2 stores!!!!!!

[Heidi3]

Re: Real pumpkin?

I love to make pumpkin soup and serve it in the shell with the cooked pumpkin scraped into the soup in chunks as you serve it ..yummm

[not2late]

Re: Real pumpkin?

That's why I was looking for those mini-pumpkins today!!!! I wanted to use them as as edible container. I was planning to stuff them with a mix of ground meat, herbs, mushrooms and onions.

Looks like I'll stop by on the way home from my bike trip tomorrow and see if I can get them.

[Heidi3]

Re: Real pumpkin?

I can not believe it is pumpkin time already

[soappedaler]

Re: Real pumpkin?

I guess I'll leave the pumpkins alone for now unless I'm sure it's a pumpkin and not a winter squash in disquise. Thakns for the picture. Some of those winter squash sure look like pumpkins.

[not2late]

Re: Real pumpkin?

Pumpkins and spaghettie squash are technically 'winter' squashes. I think as long as you stick to the pumpkins that look like pumpkins, you'll be okay.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Squash.html