PUMPKINS

The pumpkin plant is a rambling vine. They have large, dark green leaves, orange trumpet-shaped flowers, and prickly hairs on the stems and leaves. Like cucumbers, corn, and muskmelons, the pumpkin has separate male and female flowers on the same plant. 

Pumpkins are native to the Western Hemisphere. References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." The French changed it to "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin."

T he pumpkin is a member of the squash family, and, though it is treated like a vegetable, it is technically a fruit. The reason a pumpkin is a fruit is because it grows on a vine and contains seeds.

They are typically only available during fall and early winter; however, canned pumpkin is just as nutritious as fresh. Fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree can be used to make soups, muffins, breads, puddings, and smoothies. Pumpkin seeds can be eaten as a snack, used to top salads or added to vegetables. Pumpkin-seed oil can be used in cooking or as a salad dressing.

More than just a decorative Halloween candleholder or a pie filling to be eaten only once a year, pumpkin is one of the most nutritional foods available year round. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, both the flesh and seeds of the pumpkin provide many health-boosting nutrients..