They were supposed to be pie pumpkins and when we baked it to make a pie it spaghettified. Neighbor must be growing spaghetti because I’m not.

  • The_v@lemmy.worldEnglish
    27·
    2 days ago

    The “spaghetti” trait is common in pumpkins. Especially those derived from Hemmeter’s genetics. The trait reduces the density of the flesh for the size of the pumpkin.

    It is preferred by growers who ship pumpkins to stores who sell based upon size. Say they pack 24 bins into a trailer of 40 count pumpkins. The Spaghetti trait can reduce the weight of each pumpkin by 3-4lbs. So instead of 15lbs each, they are 11-12lbs. That’s almost 2 tons less weight to ship, which adds up to significant savings.

    Part of the reason Warty Goblin is so popular is not just because it’s fucking awesome to look at. It’s also a has both hardshell & spaghetti traits. This reduces its weight down even more.

    Pie pumpkins are just a class size 3-7lbs. It doesn’t actually refer to being good for cooking. If you want to cook them, you need to know the genetics and pick the right one. The best one is Cannonball. As it’s name suggests, it’s an extremely dense little thing that makes it good for eating or pumpkin cannons/trebuchet/catapults…etc.

    https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/11688-pumpkin-cannon-ball-f1?variant=28918716369

    • Oth@lemmy.zipEnglish
      7·
      2 days ago

      Hey, that’s super cool and informative, I had no idea that pumpkins had this sort of depth to them. Pumpkins aren’t super common where I live, so this made me want to go out and use them more, for science!

      So, thanks!

      • The_v@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 days ago

        Next time you make a pie, try using butternut squash.

        Commercially pie filling is made from a variety called Dickinson’s field. This is a cultivar of Cucurbita moschata. This is the same species as butternut squash.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickinson_pumpkin

        The “pie pumpkins” sold at the store are Cucurbita pepo. They aren’t generally as good for baking as either C. moschata or C. maxima.