pumpkin

·         Pumpkins are usually orange but can sometimes be yellow, white, green or red. ·         The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’, meaning ‘large melon’. ·         Pumpkins have thick shells which contain pulp and seeds. ·         Scientifically speaking, pumpkins are a fruit (they contain seeds) but when it comes to cooking, they are often referred to as vegetables. ·         Pumpkins are usually shaped like a sphere (ball). ·         They vary in weight but an average sized pumpkin might weigh around 13 pounds (6 kilograms). ·         Giant pumpkins can be grown for competitions, with some weighing over 1000 pounds! (450 kilograms). In 2010, the world record was 1810 pounds! ·         Pumpkin plants feature both male and female flowers, with bees typically being involved in pollination (the transfer of pollen). ·         Over 1 billion pounds (450 million kgs) of pumpkin are produced in the US every year. ·         As a food, pumpkin can be baked, roasted, steamed or boiled. ·         Pumpkin soup is popular, as are roasted pumpkin seeds. ·         Pumpkin pie is a sweet dessert that originates in North America and is traditionally eaten during harvest time and holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. ·         Pumpkins are popular decorations during Halloween. A carved pumpkin illuminated by candles is known as a ‘jack-o-lantern’. The tradition is believed to have come from Ireland, where they used to carve faces into turnips, beet and other root vegetables as part of the Gaelic festival of Samhain. ·         100 grams of pumpkin produces around 26 calories of energy.

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