Cuisine Canada Scene

The shops are bursting with them.  Take a country drive, and you will see road side stand after road side stand.  Jack-o’-lantern pumpkins everywhere, and not a bite to eat.

Well, yes, you can eat them.  But why would you, when there are better choices for getting a really decent, and memorable eating pumpkin.

I was talking with Heather Lekx and Donald Bowyer, farmers at Ignatius Farm CSA in Guelph Ontario, and purveyors of pumpkins galore.  Their impression is that interest in pumpkins is split.  People either want a jack-o’-lantern, which usually gets composted, or they want something for cooking and baking.  And if you want something wonderful for cooking, it’s a completely different creature than a jack-o’-lantern.

Pumpkins and winter squash are a vast genetic family, all of them Curcurbits, but from different offshoots of the family tree.  Because of their generous yield, and excellent storage characteristics, pumpkins were quickly adopted by many global cuisines, and bred to adapt to taste preference.  From ravioli to pie, and from tagine to curry, the mellow flavour matches a variety of intense spices, but good pumpkin has the robust nuttiness which can let it stand on its own, adorned simply with butter and salt.

Tricks for getting the best pumpkin treats:

When selecting a pumpkin for eating, consider the following:

-Look for heavy weight for size.  A jack-o’-lantern pumpkin was bred to be thin fleshed, smooth skinned, and spongy, for easy carving.  This also means pale and stringy.  For  quality eating, find a pumpkin that is very dense.  Pumpkins bred for best culinary quality are usually vivid orange in flesh, with minimal sponginess and stringiness.

-Don’t expect a bright, round orange-skinned pumpkin. Many of the heirloom varieties have deep ridged, “Cinderella’s Coach” appearances, short and squat.  Others have vibrant skin colours, green, red, grey, white, tan.  Some have russeted or netted skin, or even peanut-like warts.  Halloween scary without carving.  But never fear!  Buy from a reputable farmer or retailer, check to make sure the flesh is sound and firm, no soft spots, and you are in for a treat.  If there is a variety you liked, or want to try next year, let your supplier know.  It’s field planning time for the 2010 season.

-Consider using other winter squash, hubbards, kabocha, long necks, even butternuts, for pumpkin recipes.  Odds are very few people would notice the difference.  You’re not the only one doing this sleight of hand.  Virtually all canned pumpkin in North America comes from the Dickinson squash, which looks like a big butternut squash.  Genetically, it is more related to the butternut squash than the typical jack-o’-lantern (Curcurbita moschata and Curcurbita pepo var. pepo respectively).

-Want your pumpkin, and want to eat it too? The thicker fleshed eating pumpkins can be trouble to carve.  Consider just putting them out for a spectacular display, or carve a face into the flesh without hitting the centre. Paint is good as long as it’s non-toxic and can be removed prior to eating.  Skip the candles to avoid the paraffin smoked flavour, and opt for a flashlight or LED. Uncarved, they can last several months in a cool (but not cold) and dry location. Carved, keep in the fridge up to 3 days.  The opportunities are endless for decorating, and then endless again for good eating.

So, are you going to eat your pumpkin? Do you have a favorite eating variety?

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Posted by Amy Proulx, who might look like a pumpkin soon, from eating so much pumpkin.

Photo – Amy Proulx, pumpkins courtesy of Ignatius Farm CSA