RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Warts? Traditional? Heirloom? Baking? Depending on your tastes—that is, your taste buds and your fall decorating preferences—there is almost certainly a pumpkin among the hundreds of different varieties out there for you. Chances are, you've seen many of these weird and traditional varieties at pumpkin patches or farm stands. Now you'll know what they're called, and what to do with them! (Make sure you pick up some edible varieties to cook up: Pumpkins and their seeds are loaded with vitamin C, E, iron, potassium, and antioxidants.) Here are some of our favorites:
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Summit Galeux d'Eysines Warts Galore Blue Delight Packer Rouge Vif d'Etampes Warts Plethora Bunch O' Warts Tycoon Millionaire |
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Summit Best uses: Carving, decorating Size: 30 to 40 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: Pumpkin expert and plant breeder Jamie Hoffman (he uses classic plant breeding methods; nothing is genetically engineered), of Outstanding Seed Company, says Summit is the company's best-selling orange carving pumpkin. It's resistant to powdery mildew and consistently leads in university trials. As a general rule of thumb, orange carving pumpkins are not good eats! |
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Galeux d'Eysines, a.k.a. "peanut pumpkin" Best uses: Cooking, decorating Size: 30 pounds Seed type: Heirloom Noteworthy: This old French heirloom develops more warts as it matures, which is why the one on the right is "wartier;" it's older. This plant produces big vines, so if you have a small home garden, beware! Hoffman notes this pumpkin boasts "excellent culinary quality," noting its fine-grained, dense, sweet flesh. |
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Warts Galore Best uses: Decorating Size: 7 to 12 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: "Warts are a genetic trait," explains Hoffman, developer of this variety. "Just like some people have blue eyes and some people have brown eyes, some pumpkins have warts." |
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Blue Delight Best uses: Cooking, decorating Size: 10 to 15 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: This rough-textured, flattened pumpkin features bluish-gray fruit with orange flesh, and is excellent for making pumpkin pies, bread, and custard. |
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Packer Best uses: Carving, decorating Size: 10 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: This compact carving pumpkin features great disease resistance plus a classic look, so you're likely to find it wherever decorating pumpkins are for sale. (If you want to grow your own, Outstanding Seed Company sells to commercial growers, but gardeners can find its seeds in smaller quantities through E&R Seed, Hummert Seed and Supply, and Holmes Seed.) |
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Rouge Vif d'Etampes (Cinderella) Best uses: Decorating, cooking Size: 12 to 35 pounds Seed type: Heirloom Noteworthy: This French heirloom, sometimes used in pies, features deep ribs and a very deep orange color. Its fairytale look makes this pumpkin increasingly popular for front porch or tabletop displays. |
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Warts Plethora Best uses: Decorating, cooking Size: Medium Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: This weird pumpkin isn't just funky looking, it's delicious, too! So instead of composting it after you take down your autumn decorating display, cook it using some of our favorite pumpkin recipes. |
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Bunch O' Warts Best uses: Decorating, carving Size: 15 to 20 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: Most of this variety's fruits boast warts, a characteristic that is in high demand this year. In fact, displaying a quirky local pumpkin instead of a supermarket clone is becoming a point of pride. "There's more interest in buy local, buy fresh. There's more interest in organic," notes Hoffman. "And certainly pumpkins are part of that trend. They are something that's not plastic." |
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Tycoon Best uses: Decorating Size: 18 to 22 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: This large fruit boasts orange stripes, with an original pumpkin look that's sure to make your front porch stand out. |
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Millionaire Best uses: Decorating, cooking Size: 7 to 12 pounds Seed type: Hybrid Noteworthy: The spaghetti-type flesh of this variety is especially tasty when cooked. It's a smaller, sweeter cousin of the Millionaire variety. But don't be fooled by the name; both types are quite affordable. |