Tuesday, November 11

Once in a blue moon

Who says pumpkins have to be orange?

You'd certainly have to be out of your gourd if you didn't agree that pumpkins are one of the ultimate symbols of fall. With their pleasing shapes and warm colors, these autumnal envoys remind us of the sweet glow of spectacularly spooky Jack-o-Lanterns and the delicious taste of pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving Day. However, not all pumpkins are created equal. Many varieties break the "round and orange" mold by offering interesting shapes, textures, and colors like salmon, red, white, blue-gray, and green. Such nontraditional pumpkins add a uniqueness to fall decorating and bring amazing flavor to beloved pumpkin recipes.

It's all in the family

Jarrahdale

Genetically there is little difference between pumpkins and their cousins, winter squash and gourds. They are all members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Interestingly, the name squash is often interchanged with pumpkin. However, varieties that are most often referred to as pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) have very long vines and stems that are more rigid and squarer than those of other squashes. (Though we typically class pumpkins as vegetables, they are actually fruit, since a fruit is defined as the part of the plant that contains seeds.)

Decorating with squash, pumpkins and gourds is a great way to extend the color in your garden or add elegance to your Thanksgiving dinner table. For example, tuck a few different shapes and colors in among containers of mums on your front porch and accent the arrangement with frilly ornamental kale. Brighten up a corner of your yard by using a birdbath as a container to hold a whimsical grouping of your favorite shapes, sizes, textures and colors. Or as an interesting "green" addition to the Thanksgiving table, create natural looking vases from white or orange pumpkins by cutting off the top and scooping out the seeds. Stick a glass vase inside the pumpkin and fill it with fresh-picked fall flowers. Mini pumpkins also make beautiful candle or place-card holders.

A plethora of choices

Brode Galeux d'Eysines

Pumpkins come in many colors, shapes and sizes - not to mention cool names. Some are fabulous for culinary uses, others are more suited to being carved or put on display. Take my personal favorite, the French treasure, 'Brode Galeux d'Eysines', most often listed in catalogs as just 'Galeux d'Eysines,' which means "embroidered with warts from Eysines," a small city in southwest France. One couldn't ask for a more perfect visual masterpiece! It has pale salmon-orange skin covered with a mass of protruding warts. Even better, it yields plenty of smooth, rich pulp for pies.

Then there's 'Jarrahdale,' with its blue-gray color, deep ribs and perfect pumpkin shape. Its smooth, deep orange flesh has an intricate and complex flavor that makes for superb pumpkin soups and muffins.

Another French favorite, 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes,' sometimes called the Cinderella pumpkin, is rumored to have been the prototype used by the Disney people to create the magical carriage in the movie. No pumpkin is more vibrant than this rich, dark orange-red fruit.

Rouge Vif d'Etampes

One of the best from this side of the pond is 'Long Island Cheese,' an American heirloom that looks like a pale orange wheel of cheese. However, this pumpkin has exceptionally sweet dense flesh that is choice for pies and other sweet treats.

Others I think are great for cooking, include the smaller varieties 'Baby Bear,' 'Small Sugar' (also known as 'New England Pie') and 'Winter Luxury.' Midsize types include 'Autumn Gold,' 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes,' 'Galeux d'Eysines,' "Jarrahdale,' 'Long Island Cheese,' and 'Triamble.'

How to cook a pumpkin

Pumpkin can be substituted in recipes that call for winter squash or sweet potato, and many spices — including nutmeg, sage, allspice, coriander, cinnamon and saffron — pair nicely with it. Making puree from this versatile fruit is pretty straightforward.

1. Start with a ripe, firm medium-sized pumpkin (larger ones take on a grainy texture).
2. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and the sticky, stringy flesh.
3. Cut the pumpkin into six to eight pieces.
4. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil, put the pieces on the baking pan, and bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until pulp is soft. (Use a fork to check for tenderness)
5. Let cool, peel the softened flesh out of its skin, and puree the pumpkin in a food processor or mixer.
6. For the best flavor, the puree should be used within two days, or it can be frozen for up to a month. Count on 1 pound of raw pumpkin to give you 1 cup of puree.
   

Picking and preserving pumpkins and gourds

A mature pumpkin is uniform in color. An almost-orange pumpkin will continue to turn color if kept above 50 degrees, but chances are, these pumpkins may also rot sooner than those picked when mature. To kill bacteria and fungi that can cause rotting, wash or wipe pumpkins with warm, soapy water and disinfect them with a solution of 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of a 5.25 percent bleach in one gallon of water.

To cure small decorative gourds, spread them on a sheet of newspaper in a warm room with good air circulation for two or three weeks. It takes several months to dry large, hard-shell gourds, during which time they may become covered with mold. The mold doesn't injure the shell — and can leave interesting patterns when it's wiped off — but wiping shells with the bleach water solution will prevent mold from forming.

Depending on the variety, pumpkins and gourds will keep up to six months if preserved properly, while hard shell gourds may last several years.

Author of “In Search of Great Plants: The Insider’s Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest,” Betty Earl is a Master Gardener, photographer and lecturer. She writes for numerous regional gardening magazines, is a garden scout for both Better Homes & Gardens and Midwest Living magazines and also serves as a regional representative for the Garden Conservancy. She lives and gardens in Naperville.