Pumpkin
Description:
Pumpkin is the common name for large-fruited varieties of several species of trailing and climbing plants of the genus Cucurbita, characterized by a round, pulpy, orange or orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind. In particular, it applies to various varieties of Cucurbita pepo, but also can refer to cultivars of C. moschata, C. mixta, and C. maxima. The term pumpkin also refers to the large, edible, globe-shaped fruit, which is a popular vegetable. Cucurbita belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae,which also includes squash, watermelon, and muskmelon.
The pumpkin fruit and flowers, while advancing the plant's own function of reproduction, also provides larger functions for the ecosystem and for humans. Ecologically, the fruit and flowers are a food source for many animals, including bee pollinators that themselves are necessary for fertilization of the pumpkins. For humans, the pulp is used as a table vegetable and in pies and soups, the seeds are popular snacks, and pumpkin seed oil is used for cooking and as a salad dressing. Pumpkin pie is a traditional staple of the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada and the United States and carving of the rind of the hollowed-out fruit into jack-o'-lanterns is a popular activity around Halloween.
How to select and store:
Find a pumpkin that is free of any blemishes or bruises. Larger pumpkins intended for decoration and Halloween can be eaten, but are less flavourful and can have a stringier texture than the smaller varieties that are intended for consumption.
Look for even-coloured pumpkins: a uniform colouring is an indication that it is fully mature. Make sure they are hard and firm, free of any soft spots or cracks. Use a fingernail to poke either the top by the stem, or on the bottom to test how firm it is. It should not dent or scratch.
If you plan on keeping them for as long as a month, gently clean the surface of the pumpkin with hot water and a clean cloth, then promptly wipe them completely dry.
Pumpkins typically store well for up to 2-3 months, provided that you keep them at a cool temperature, between 10 and 12ºC. The garage is a perfect place to store them – but do not store them on the cold, concrete floor. Keep them away from fruits that release ripening ethylene gas like apples or pears.
You can freeze cooked pumpkin (or purée,) but canning raw pumpkin is not recommended.
Nutrition facts: Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. Though this humble backyard vegetable is low in calories, nonetheless, it packed with vitamin-A, and flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.
Pumpkin is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the surface in a similar fashion as that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes, etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including in the USA at commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.
Source : http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pumpkin
https://producemadesimple.ca/select-store-pumpkins/
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
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