Pumpkins are strictly a North America phenomenon.  Seeds from related plants have been discovered in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C. That is a long time ago! Unbeknownst to many, Native American Indians have used pumpkin as a main focus of their diet dating back hundreds of years. 

Indians used dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats and other household effects. Indians also used the pumpkin as a snack. They would roast long strips of pumpkin over a live fire and eat these strips as a snack. Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash" and used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine. As you enjoy the Halloween and fall holiday pumpkin season, take time to reflect on this wonderfully sweet, multi-purpose fruit.

Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.

Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.

Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.

Pumpkin flowers are edible.

Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies and breads.

The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.

Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.

Pumpkins originated in Central America.

In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

Pumpkin facts and photo courtesy of the Virginia Pumpkin Growers Association.

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