Pumpkin Quick Facts
Pumpkins are not vegetables, they’re fruits. Technically, they are berries – very BIG berries.
In 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported that he had found “gros melons,” which translated into English as “ponpions,” or pumpkins.
In colonial New Haven, Connect, cut pumpkins were used as guides for haircuts to ensure round, uniform style. Hence, the expression pumpkin head.
Pumpkin seeds are high in iron and fiber. Traditional American Indian medicine men used pumpkin seeds as a diuretic and as a cure for tapeworms and roundworms. Pumpkin seeds are an approved component in some European urological and prostate drug preparations.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, even pumpkin flowers are high in nutrition and loaded with vitamin A.
Pumpkins have been grown in America for more than 5,000 years.
Pumpkin can be used in sweet dishes, like pumpkin pie or custard, or as a savory side dish.
To give you an idea of how much to buy, 5 lbs. of fresh pumpkin will yield about 3.5 lbs. of cooked pumpkin.
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