Pumpkin Varieties & Their Many Uses
Hi friends, Megan K. here with the scoop on everything pumpkin!
As fall rolls in, so does the vibrant and versatile pumpkin, a true icon of the season. Pumpkins come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, each with its own unique uses, from culinary delights to seasonal decorations. Whether you're carving a spooky jack-o'-lantern or whipping up a delicious pie, the type of pumpkin you choose matters. Here’s a guide to some of the most popular pumpkin varieties and how to use them.
Sugar Pie Pumpkin
Best For: Baking & Cooking
Description: The Sugar Pie pumpkin is small and sweet, with a rich orange color and dense flesh. Its smooth texture makes it ideal for pureeing.
Uses: This pumpkin is best known for its role in making the perfect pumpkin pie. Its flesh can be roasted, pureed, and used in pies, breads, and soups. It’s also a great choice for pumpkin butter or pumpkin muffins.
Jack-O’-Lantern Pumpkin
Best For: Carving
Description: Larger and more hollow than other varieties, the Jack-O’-Lantern pumpkin is designed for easy carving. It has a bright orange exterior and tends to be lightweight.
Uses: These pumpkins are primarily grown for carving during Halloween. While they’re edible, their watery flesh lacks the flavor needed for good cooking. Their hollow interior makes them perfect for turning into jack-o'-lanterns.
Pepitas Pumpkin
Best For: Seeds
Description: Medium-sized, pale green or orange with a smooth texture.
Uses: Grown specifically for its hull-less seeds, or pepitas, which are popular in snacks and recipes. The flesh itself is not typically used for cooking, but the seeds are highly prized for roasting or adding to dishes like salads.
Cinderella Pumpkin | Rouge Vif d'Etampes
Best For: Cooking & Decoration
Description: The Cinderella pumpkin is named for its resemblance to the pumpkin-turned-carriage in the classic fairy tale. It has a deep orange color, a flat shape, and a ribbed surface.
Uses: This pumpkin is a favorite for both cooking and decorating. Its rich, sweet flesh is great for making soups and pies. It also adds an elegant touch to fall displays due to its beautiful shape and color.
Lumina Pumpkin
Best For: Decoration & Baking
Description: The Lumina pumpkin is pure white with a smooth exterior, making it a standout in fall decorations. Inside, its flesh is pale but still suitable for cooking.
Uses: Known for its ghostly appearance, the Lumina is popular for painting and decorating during Halloween. While it’s often chosen for its looks, it can also be used in baking and roasting, offering a mild and slightly sweet flavor.
Fairytale Pumpkin | Musquée de Provence
Best For: Cooking & Display
Description: With a deeply ribbed exterior and a tan or bronze color, the Fairytale pumpkin is as decorative as it is delicious. It has a dense, sweet flesh.
Uses: This heirloom pumpkin is perfect for making pies, soups, and purees. Its shape and rustic color make it a beautiful addition to fall centerpieces and displays.
Blue Jarrahdale Pumpkin
Best For: Cooking & Decoration
Description: This unique pumpkin has a slate-blue skin and a flattened shape, giving it a striking appearance. Inside, the flesh is sweet and thick.
Uses: The Blue Jarrahdale pumpkin is great for both cooking and decorating. Its flesh is sweet and works well in soups, pies, and roasted dishes, while its blue color adds an unexpected pop to fall decor.
Baby Boo Pumpkin
Best For: Decorative Uses
Description: The Baby Boo is a tiny, white pumpkin that is perfect for small fall decorations. It has a smooth surface and fits easily in the palm of your hand.
Uses: This miniature pumpkin is mainly used for decorative purposes, especially in fall centerpieces or as accents in wreaths. Although it’s technically edible, it’s usually too small to be practical for cooking.
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin
Best For: Competitions & Displays
Description: The Atlantic Giant is the pumpkin variety used for growing those record-breaking pumpkins that can weigh hundreds of pounds. It’s pale orange and massive.
Uses: These pumpkins are grown for pumpkin-growing contests and fall displays. While they can be eaten, their flesh is fibrous and less flavorful, so they’re more commonly grown for their size than their taste.
Kabocha Pumpkin | Japanese Pumpkin
Best For: Culinary Uses
Description: The Kabocha pumpkin is small to medium in size with dark green skin and a sweet, nutty flavor. Its texture is similar to that of sweet potatoes.
Uses: Popular in Japanese cuisine, the Kabocha pumpkin is great for roasting, soups, tempura, and curries. Its rich, sweet flavor makes it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.
Turban Squash | Turk’s Turban
Best For: Decoration & Cooking
Description: The Turban Squash has a unique shape that resembles a turban, with vibrant colors ranging from orange and green to yellow and white.
Uses: This pumpkin is often chosen for its decorative appeal due to its unusual shape. It’s also edible, with a slightly nutty flavor that works well in soups and stews.
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
Best For: Baking
Description: Named for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese, this heirloom pumpkin has a smooth, tan skin and dense, sweet flesh.
Uses: The Long Island Cheese pumpkin is prized for making pumpkin pies due to its creamy, flavorful flesh. It’s also great for other baked goods like pumpkin bread and muffins.
Hubbard Squash
Best For: Cooking
Description: Though technically a squash, the Hubbard variety is often grouped with pumpkins. It has a bumpy, hard shell and can be green, blue, or orange.
Uses: This squash is great for roasting or turning into soups. Its flesh is sweet and dense, similar to pumpkin, and it stores well for long periods.
This Time of Year is Simply Gourd-geous!
Pumpkins aren’t just for decoration—they’re versatile ingredients that can be used in a variety of dishes, from savory soups to sweet pies. Whether you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween, add to your fall decor, or roast for dinner, there’s a pumpkin variety to fit every need. From the tiny Baby Boo to the colossal Atlantic Giant, each type of pumpkin brings its own unique flavor, texture, and aesthetic to the season, making pumpkin season one of the most cherished times of the year.
