part of a pumpkin is edible : the skin , leaves , flowers , pulp , seeds , and stems .
Naturally low in energy density , pumpkins are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help to regulate your blood pressure , as well as iron sources , explains Jaclyn London , MS , RD , CDN . “ Plus the fiber content of pumpkin is filling and helps stabilize blood sugar , which will keep your energy up throughout the day .”
They are also full of vitamin A and beta-carotene , the powerful antioxidant that gives orange vegetables and fruits their color . Cooking while it ’ s fresh is a great way to ensure you ’ re retaining most all of its ingredients and toasted pumpkin seeds are a great , nutritious snack .
The Pumpkin Spice Latte , most commonly associated with Starbucks which first offered the drink in 2003 , is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional autumn spice flavors ( cinnamon , nutmeg , and clove ), steamed milk , espresso , and often sugar , topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice .
Starbucks ’ director of espresso Americas , Peter Dukeswhose team created other seasonal drinks like the eggnog latte and peppermint mocha , said that “ developers realized there was something special around the pumpkin flavor , especially since there wasn ’ t anything around pumpkin at the time .”
The PSL has been Starbucks ’ most popular seasonal beverage , with more than 600 million sold to date , according to CNN . However , until 2015 they did not use real pumpkin in the drink . The beverage started a trend of pumpkin spice products , such as candles and air fresheners , as well as foods as diverse as donuts , beer , breakfast cereals , pasta sauce , and even cough drops .
Before the PSL , pumpkin spice referred to a blend of spices that was used to flavor pumpkin pie , often combining cinnamon , nutmeg , ginger , allspice , and cloves . In early colonial times , pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies , not the filling .
The largest pumpkin pie according to the Guiness Book of World Records weighed in at 3,699 lb , was 20 feet in diameter , and the crust was made of 440 sheets of dough . This was made by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in New Bremen , Ohio on Sept . 25 , 2010 .
The spice blend has long been a part of the American baking tradition and in the 1930s , spice manufacturing companies like Thompson & Taylor Spice Co and McCormick & Company came out with Pumpkin Pie Spice , a pre-blended mix that meant bakers could buy one spice instead of several .
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Thompson & Taylor ’ s version , released in 1933 , included nine spices . McCormick ’ s blend , which was originally launched in 1934 and is still around today , includes four spices : cinnamon , ginger , nutmeg , and allspice , plus sulfiting agents .
Pumpkins require warm soils to germinate and they cannot tolerate frost or freezes . To produce a fall crop of jack-o ’ -lanterns , plant the seed approximately four months ( generally around July ) before the first frost .
The tradition of the “ Jack-O ’ -Lantern ” stems from an Irish legend about a man named Stingy Jack who was an unpleasant character famous for playing tricks on people .
The practice of carving Jack-O ’ -Lanterns was brought to America by Irish immigrants . In Ireland , Jack-O ’ -Lanterns are carved out of potatoes or turnips , but upon arrival in America , the Irish began to use pumpkins instead because they were easier to carve .
At the end of the fall season , feed your pumpkins to wildlife as both the seeds and the flesh will be enjoyed by birds and several small animals . Wildlife experts suggest you cut up the pumpkin into smaller pieces and place them away from your home so that you don ’ t encourage wildlife to feed too close .
PUMPKIN FUN FACTS
• A pumpkin is really a squash – it ’ s a member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers
• Pumpkin flowers are edible
• Scientists believe that pumpkins originated in North America about 9,000 years ago . The oldest pumpkin seeds have been found in Mexico and date back to somewhere between 7000-5550 B . C .
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites .
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 2,702 pounds in Peccioli , Italy
• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins , dried them and made mats .
• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine
PUMPKIN RECIPES
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Pie
Recipe
Courtesy of Margaret Dansby as printed in the A Taste of Athens Cookbook © 2019
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs ¼ tsp Vanilla ¼ cup Butter , melted 2 Eggs 4 pkg ( 3 oz ) Cream Cheese , softened 2 Egg Yolks ¾ cup Sugar