Little Known Facts About Pumpkins

When you think of "pumpkins", you probably think of Halloween, pie, Fall, and Thanksgiving. Afterall, these are words that are most often associated with this fruit. Pumpkins are members of the Cucurbita pepo family which includes gourds, squash and cucumbers. Read this informative article and learn some more little known facts about pumpkins that will probably leave you saying, "I didn't know that!"

The History of Pumpkins
Pumpkins have been in existence for centuries. In fact, the name itself came from the Greek word "pepon" which means "large melon." The French peoples changed "pepon" into "pompon." The medieval English then turned "pompon" into "pumpion." A little known fact about pumpkins is, that the first mention of any dessert made with them was after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620. The colonists would remove the top of pumpkins, scoop out the seeds and membrane, then fill the shells with milk, honey and assorted spices. The top was replaced and the pumpkin was baked until it was tender, by placing it in hot ashes. This is where the idea of having Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving meals came from. By the late 1600's, there were recipes for "Pumpion Pyes" published in cookbooks.

According to Libby.com, today, there are more than 50 million pumpkin pies made and eaten annually.

The Native Americans also used pumpkins. They cut them into thin, long strips, flattened them, and dried them out. Then, they wove the strips together to make rugs. They also chunked pumpkins up, roasted the pieces over fires, and ate the tasty fruit. The Native Americans had their own name for pumpkins- "isqoutm squash."

Where Do Pumpkins Grow?
Actually, where DON'T they grow? Pumpkins grow on every continent except Antarctica.
According to the folks at the Libby Corporation, a major brand of canned pumpkin, Morton, Illinois is the "Pumpkin Capital of the World" because that's where their plant is located. A little known fact about pumpkins is that ninety-percent of the pumpkin crops come from the state of Illinois.