Once those seeds begin to rear their tiny little heads above the soil, they are ready to go out into the world of the garden. The first month is the most critical. Tiny pumpkin seeds need protection from insects, the sun, and drying out. On cold evenings, cover new seedlings to protect from harsh winds and potential late season frost.

Just when you thought that they were old enough to go it on their own, fungus bursts on the scene. It is not common but possible for all pumpkins. One way to avoid damaging fungal growth is to water pumpkin plants during the morning so that the water has time to soak in and the leaves can dry in the sun of the day.

Fertilizer provides nutrients for the pumpkins and promotes increased growth. Continue watering as much as possible to grow larger pumpkins. Since pumpkins are mostly water (like watermelon) the extra water is carried in the “meat” of the pumpkin.

Bees come to pollinate pumpkins. Without pollination, pumpkins will be small and there will be fewer of them as harvest time. Declining bee populations have led some growers to pollinate by hand. This is a lot of work so pray for the bees to do it.

When harvest time comes, keep pumpkins on the vine as long as possible. Cutting an unripe pumpkin from its vine can stop the ripening process all together.

Pumpkin growing is not an easy task, but it is a rewarding one. With the way that we use pumpkins each year around the holidays, it can become a profitable business.

When fall arrives, there are no shortages of places where someone in need can acquire a pumpkin. Boy scouts and other civic organizations sell from their stock or they buy pumpkins to sell to the public. Either way, they are plentiful.

One way to make a little cash during the months of September through November is to begin and maintain a pumpkin farm of your very own. One doesn’t need a twenty acre setup to grow pumpkins but time and attention along with patience are required.

It seems easy to grow something with such a solid rind but these beauties are temperamental. Unless they get what they want, their growth will be puny indeed. Start with good soil to nourish your pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are not put into the ground from the start. They are planted indoors in the spring. These humble beginnings give pumpkin seeds a fighting chance to germinate away from bugs and birds. Most growers plant more seeds than they need in case something unforeseen happens and some of the seeds or small pumpkins die.

When pumpkin is a part of a healthy diet, supplements are not necessary. Eating a piece of pumpkin a day is just as effective as an apple. If bananas are not the tastiest way to gain your potassium, try eating some pumpkin. It contains over 500 milligrams of potassium per serving.

Pumpkins have endured their own bit of folk remedy over the years. People believe that pumpkin would reduce the appearance of freckles or eliminate them all together. It was also a remedy for snake bites.

Many creams include pumpkin as an ingredient. That probably has more to do with its antioxidant properties than the healthy qualities of the fruit.

Pumpkins seeds are removed when a pumpkin is hollowed out. Instead of throwing them away, clean the seeds off and roast them with a little bit of salt. Pumpkin seeds make a quick snack to eat on the go or when kids are watching television and get the munchies. The nutritional value is higher than eating a bowl of popcorn.

Without all of the extra sugars and fats, eating pumpkin is healthy. Whether eaten alone or in a recipe, it provides nutrients that benefit the human body.

We carve pumpkins or paint faces on them for the amusement of others, but are there other uses? Well, pumpkins make great additions to recipes, but they aren’t guaranteed to be low fat meals. What people don’t know is that eating pumpkin on its own gives the best nutritional value and taste.

Pumpkins have been around for a long time. Native Americans used pumpkins for both food and materials. Long strips of pumpkin were dried and used to weave mats. Some was dried for the pumpkin version of beef jerky.

Pumpkins are highly nutrition by themselves. Eaten fresh from the pumpkin, the fruit provides zero cholesterol, less than 100 calories, and low sodium. When we add sugar, eggs, butter, and other ingredients, our pumpkin recipes get heavy and calorie laden.

Pumpkin can be pureed and added to recipes like muffin mixes and cakes without extra calories. The trick is to substitute the butter for applesauce and liquid oil to flavor the batter. Pumpkin puree can be given to babies to boost their intake of Vitamin C.

Speaking of Vitamin C, pumpkin contains large amounts of the antioxidant beta-carotene. It aids in giving the pumpkin its deep orange color. We have heard about the benefits of antioxidants. They work to reduce the signs of aging and various diseases.

The word pumpkin means “large melon.” Pumpkin can be eaten raw or cooked, but the majority of its nutrients will be received when eaten raw. Most people don’t think of a pumpkin as a fruit, but one criterion for something to be considered a fruit is the fact that seeds are present. The fact that a pumpkin is full of seed is what makes it correctly classified as a fruit.

In fact, pumpkins contain a bunch of seeds that can be eaten roasted or as a decorative garnish in other dishes. Stranger still is the fact that pumpkins are not always orange. Recently I have been introduced to the albino pumpkin. I always thought they were painted white but alas, I found out this is not the case. These albino pumpkins are naturally white.

Pumpkins can also appear as red, purple, or green. What would the fall season be like with red or purple pumpkins all over the place? Oh, well, there are enough orange ones around that things won’t change any time soon.

They look pretty resting on the brushy undergrowth of the pumpkin patch floor. These orange fruits grow on vines that run along the ground. They scare us when carved and make us lick our lips when baked, but what exactly is a pumpkin?

One could make a case for an alien landing hundreds of years ago, but there are stranger looking fruits than the pumpkin. Now, it’s time to reveal a secret about this mysterious orange thing. A pumpkin is a gourd-type of squash.

A gourd is like one of those misshapen foods we used to hollow out and fill with beads to make noisemakers at school. They are usually greenish yellow or orange and green.

A pumpkin is a rather large gourd, one that can be used for more than creating racket. The large dried shell of a gourd can be used for creating cups, bowls, and even lamps. The outer rind of the pumpkin is not so sturdy but it does well at holding candles during Halloween parties. It even works for holding foods, such as soups, at the dinner table.

A more familiar type of squash is the Zucchini. Pumpkins can be sliced like zucchini and stir fried. Pumpkins are bigger and more round than other squash, but they can be used in similar ways. A pumpkin can keep for months after it has been severed from the vine as long as it is set on a raised surface in a cool dark place.

The stem of a pumpkin looks similar to that of a zucchini or yellow squash. It is however not as flexible and more prickly. It is not recommended that a pumpkin be handled by its stem as it could actually damage the fruit.

I always buy too many apples. They all look so tasty. Apples can be eaten as is as a crispy light snack but you don’t want to eat too many at one time. The doctor only prescribed one a day. For the rest, get creative if you notice that they have been lingering on your counter.

What is the best use of an apple? Making a juicy apple pie is best, of course. But, all apples are not good for pies. My favorite is Granny Smith. They tend to be tart so you may have to add more sugar to the pie. Because of their firmness, Granny Smith apples hold up well when cooked.

Gala apples are sweeter than Granny Smith apples and crisp. A mix of the two in a pie or a cobbler provides the perfect cross between sweet and tart. Gala apples complement green and fruit salads.

Mushier apple varieties can be cooked and mashed to make homemade applesauce. The process is time-consuming so be sure to make it worth your while by producing a large batch. Still got apples left? Consider fresh apple cider as a solution. If you aren’t used to tasting it fresh, know that it will be pulpier than the pasteurized kind you can buy in the store.

When all else fails, stick a Popsicle stick in the center and cover them with hot caramel or sticky candy. Many people make candied and caramel apple at Halloween but they are good all year round. Experiment to see what other uses can be found when you have too many apples.

What You Need:

2 1/2 C flour
2 tsp. orange zest, grated
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C buttermilk
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/4 C molasses
Powdered sugar

How to Make It:

Place the flour and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger and mix until well combined.
Place the butter in a separate bowl and mix on low speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add the brown sugar to the creamed butter and mix until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Pour the buttermilk into a large mixing bowl.
Add the pumpkin puree and molasses and mix until completely combined.
Place 1/4 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix to combine.
Place 1/4 of the buttermilk mixture into the butter mixture and mix to combine.
Continue in this manner until al the ingredients are combined together.
Bring the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Spray a large baking pan with a non stick cooking spray.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool slightly and the garnish with the powered sugar.

12 Servings

The orange zest and molasses make the cake moist and delicious. It’s even tasty without the powdered sugar on top.