• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

join the eatmail for exclusive recipes & meal ideas

Join now

Subscribe for new recipes, meal plans & 3 free ebooks!

  • About
  • Contact

Live Eat Learn

Easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time

free ebook

Subscribe for new recipes, meal plans & 3 free ebooks!

  • Recipe Index
  • Vegetarian 101
  • Travel
  • Meal Plans
  • Course
    • Breakfasts
    • Lunches
    • Dinners
    • Appetizers
    • Sweets
    • Drinks
  • Diet
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Raw
    • Vegan
  • Season
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
  • Ingredient
    • Avocado
    • Bean
    • Cauliflower
    • Chickpeas
    • Eggplant
    • Mushroom
    • Tofu
    • Quinoa
    • View All
  • Collections
    • All Time Favorites
    • Air Frying
    • Budget Friendly
    • Comfort Food
    • High Protein
    • Meal Prep
    • Meatless Monday
    • Quick Dinners
    • View All
  • Visit our kombucha site
Home Learn Featured Ingredients

Pumpkins 101

Share
Share on:
By: Sarah BondUpdated: Oct 15, 2021 2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Photo of a pumpkin on a white background

Everything you need to know about everyone’s favorite fall squash…pumpkins! Different varieties, storage tips, and nutritional info for pumpkin!

A variety of pumpkins laid out neatly on a white background

The American relationship with pumpkins is an odd one. While we rarely buy them to eat, pumpkins are still one of the most popular crops grown in America, largely because of our desire to carve faces into them.

Some traditions are just so odd when you think about them…but I digress.

Through history and tradition and lattes, pumpkins have established themselves as the quintessential autumn squash of America, so let’s delve into the world of pumpkins!

A traditional pumpkin on a white background with a second pumpkin peeking into the bottom right corner of the frame

How to Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a winter squash, meaning it’s commonly harvested in the fall. In contrast to summer squash with its thin skin (like zucchini), winter squash has a thick skin that enables it to be stored for months.

So how do you pick the perfect pumpkin? Well that depends on what you’re intending to do with the pumpkin! If you’re going for the classic orange Jack-O-Lantern variety, look for a pumpkin with a consistent color that’s free from scratches. Flip it over and gently press the bottom. If it gives, the pumpkin ain’t fresh. And a green stem means the pumpkin was picked recently.

A variety of pumpkins laid out neatly on a white background

How to Store Pumpkins

Pumpkins enjoy that cool, crisp autumn weather (who doesn’t?), and can be stored for up to a year in a dark, cool environment. It’s best to store your pumpkins outside somewhere shaded, protecting them from frost and direct sunlight.

How to Cook Pumpkin

Cooking pumpkin is a lot like cooking spaghetti squash. Halve it, scoop out the seeds and gunk, then cook. There are a few ways to cook pumpkin:

How to Bake Pumpkin: Place cut side down and bake at 350° F (175°C) for about 1 hour, or until inside is fork-tender. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out the pumpkin innards with a spoon and toss out the tough rind.

How to Boil Pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into chunks and boil for 20 to 30 minutes until tender.

How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds: Don’t let the seeds go to waste! Rinse them off, let them dry, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle them with some salt and a dash of olive oil. Bake at 275°F (135°C) for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree: Here’s how to make your own pumpkin puree!

Two halves of a pie pumpkin facing inside up, displaying the center

Different Pumpkin Varieties

While you’ll most commonly see bright orange pumpkins donning the front porch stoops of homes across the country, the world of pumpkin varieties goes much deeper! They come in every color of the rainbow, from pink, red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, gray, and white! Let’s look at five different types.

Traditional Orange Pumpkins

These are the classics, perfect for eating or carving into Jack-O-Lanterns. And while their bright and large surface area makes them great for the latter, they also taste pretty darn good! Their flavor is mild and less sweet than other varieties.

Choose from roasting the entire thing in the oven, using it in casseroles or soups, or turning it into a puree for using in your favorite pumpkin recipe! Just be sure to leave out the center goo and the seeds – you don’t want a crunchy puree!

Two traditional pumpkins on a white background

Pie Pumpkins

Pie pumpkins come in the same bright orange shade as traditional pumpkins, but they’re smaller and rounder. As their name suggests, this variety is perfect for baking! Their sweet flavor makes them great for pureeing and using in pies, muffins, cupcakes, you name it.

Thanks to their dense center, they’re great for dicing up and using in cooking. They’re not as stringy as traditional pumpkins!

A pie pumpkin lying sideways on a white background

White Pumpkin

Also called lumina, ghost, or full moon pumpkins, this cute variety (can a pumpkin be cute?) is perfect for both decoration and cooking. With an earthy flavor, white pumpkins are quite similar cooking-wise to butternut squash. You can use them in a number of ways and enjoy in everything from salad, soup, and casserole to waffles, muffins, and quesadillas!

A white pumpkin on a white background

Fairytale Pumpkins

Apart from looking so cute in a holiday display, fairytale pumpkins are great for eatin’! This variety can be used either raw or cooked and works well with a number of cooking methods — boiling, roasting, or baking.

These have a sweet flavor, making the pieces great for using in salads or eating with your favorite fruit dip!

Use them in your next batch of pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing, and thank me later.

A fairytale pumpkin on a white background

Pumpkin Nutrition Information

per 1 cup of pumpkin cubes (116g)

  • Calories: 30
  • Carbohydrates: 8g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Fat: 0g
  • 197% DV of vitamin A: Provides the provitamin version of this fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it comes from a plant source and your body converts the plant pigment into active Vitamin A. It is essential in many components of healthy vision, as well as immunity and cell growth/differentiation.
  • 17% DV of vitamin C: A water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant to fight against potentially damaging free radicals (molecules with unshared electrons that float around wreaking havoc) and an important cofactor in collagen synthesis.
  • 11% DV of potassium: A key mineral and electrolyte involved in countless processes, including healthy nervous system functioning and contraction of the heart and muscles.

You may also like...

  • Pumpkin granola in a jar with a label
    Pumpkin Granola
  • Homemade pumpkin puree in a food processor
    How to Make Pumpkin Puree
  • Collage of vegetarian butternut squash recipes
    10 Ways To Use A Butternut Squash
  • vegetarian fall recipes collage
    17 Vegetarian Fall Recipes
Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Rate this Recipe:




  1. GW says

    Posted on 10/21 at 2:50 pm

    Sarah, this is a great post. Thanks. We have always thrown out pumpkins after Halloween. What a waste, as long as they aren’t carved, why not cook them. Love your easy recipes BTW.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/21 at 4:16 pm

      Exactly! Stopping food waste, one jack-o-lantern at a time 😀

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

I'm Sarah

A flavor-loving nutritionist and sensory science specialist showing you how to make easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time.

Let's Meet

What's for Dinner?

A free cookbook full of our favorite vegetarian dinner recipes!

Get in now!

Subscribe for new recipes, meal plans & 3 free ebooks!

Summer Recipes

Watermelon salad on a white platter

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with an orange background - With melted sharp cheddar, the perfectly meaty texture, and best-ever Fancy Sauce, these Portobello Mushroom Burgers are the vegetarian recipe that'll have you craving mushrooms for dinner.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Vegan PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

Different smoothies arranged in rainbow on white background

How to Make a Smoothie

Veggie spring rolls cut in half on a plate

Vegetable Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vegan tomato tuna sushi bowl with rice, avocado, and cucumber in a bowl on a blue background

Vegan Tuna Sushi Bowl

Dinner This Week

Vegan tikka masala with naan and rice in a white bowl

M

Chickpea Tikka Masala

Roasted Chickpea Gyros

T

Roasted Chickpea Gyros

Vegan Thai red curry in a bowl on a red background

W

Thai Vegetarian Coconut Curry

Vegan nachos on a black plate on a white background - These vegan nachos are piled high with easy mushroom BBQ "pulled pork" and a cashew-based queso cheese sauce that will knock your dairy-free socks off.

R

BBQ Mushroom Pulled Pork

Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos

F

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

Lemon risotto in a bowl with basil on a yellow background

S

Lemon Basil Risotto

As featured on:

Free Vegetarian Dinners eBook

Join our Eatmail newsletter to get a free copy of our “Dinner Is Served” Cookbook, new recipes, exclusive meal plans, and more!

Follow Along

  • Easy Vegetarian Facebook Group
  • Kombucha Brewers Facebook Group
Back to Top
  • Web Stories
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Collaborate
© 2022 Live Eat Learn
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Support by Foodie Digital
155 shares