Beautiful, bright yellow or orange pumpkin fruits came to Rus' with Persian merchants in the 16th century. Since the orange beauty turned out to be an unpretentious plant, it immediately spread green carpets over Russian vegetable gardens.
The range of uses for pumpkins in Europe and Asia was quite wide: from eating them to turning them into carriages for Cinderellas. And the famous pumpkin porridge has been included in the Slavic menu for so long that it is considered an original Russian food.
How to choose a pumpkin for making porridge
Not everyone likes the specific taste of this vegetable. Maybe because they don't know how to cook it? Correctly chosen, sweet pumpkin fruit is very tasty and healthy, especially with the now fashionable dietary nutrition. Pumpkin dishes can contain any millet, additions of nuts and dried fruits, turning the porridge from an unloved morning dish into a delicious dessert.
Undeservedly forgotten are porridges with pumpkin and various types of meat, vegetables and mushrooms. It’s worth trying all this before you say a definitive “no” to pumpkin. You should know that there are varieties of pumpkin great multitude and not everyone is grown for the human table.
Not every variety is suitable for making porridge. Tasteless feed varieties of pumpkins for animals grow well and are stored for a long time. Canteens have small sizes and different tastes: creamy, with hints of pear, melon, nutmeg or nutmeg.
When purchasing or picking pumpkins, it is important evaluate its ripeness. The stalk should be dry, the peel should not be pressed with a fingernail, the pattern should be clear and uniform, and in the cut there should be bright orange pulp, which can be tasted raw.
In addition, there are varieties for winter (for long-term storage) and summer. The pulp of summer ones is tender and more suitable for porridge. The sweetness of a vegetable is also influenced by its growing conditions, so you can rely on intuition when choosing your favorite variety. Small fruits pear-shaped are considered the best, however, everything is a matter of taste.
Recipes for preparing delicious pumpkin porridges are divided into “quick” and “artistic”. In any case, it will turn out magnificent and tasty dish for breakfasts or desserts.
Porridge with pumpkin - “quick” recipes
To prepare traditional pumpkin porridge you will need the following ingredients:
To prepare, wash the pumpkin, cut out the pulp, remove seeds and cut into cubes. Place in a saucepan, add water and simmer over medium heat for about seven minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the millet in several waters. The weight of millet should be slightly less than the pulp, keeping in mind that it will increase three times during cooking.
Washed millet add to pulp and add water to completely cover the contents of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Then add half the milk, add salt, add the desired amount of sugar, and continue cooking without leaving the oven.
Add the remaining milk in small portions so that it does not escape from the pan. When the porridge reaches the desired consistency, add butter and turn it off. If desired, you can season it with a little cinnamon.
Recipe for pumpkin porridge with semolina
Remove the peel and seeds from the beautiful, ripe pumpkin pulp. Grate on a coarse grater, put in a saucepan and pour boiling water so that the water barely covers the pulp. Cook for 15 minutes, then carefully pour in the milk (1 cup per half a kilo of pumpkin).
As it boils - in a thin stream add semolina(no more than 2 tablespoons), while stirring the contents. It's not easy, but if you do it right, you'll get a very tasty porridge, a real creamy dessert!
English recipe: oatmeal with pumpkin
For one gentleman, prepare 60 g of oatmeal, 150 g of milk and a piece of peeled pumpkin of your choice. Boil the pumpkin and mash it into a puree. Boil milk, add oatmeal and simmer stirring continuously for 10 minutes.
Place on the divider and cook for another 10 minutes, until done, if it is regular rolled oats. Instant cereal will make it faster, but hardly tastier. Only after this, pour the pulp puree into the porridge again. boil and turn off. Add butter to taste; it won’t spoil the porridge.
Ready-made oatmeal from this recipe, if desired, can be grind with a blender until creamy, pour onto a plate, put a piece of butter and decorate with nuts, raisins, etc.
Healthy recipe: porridge from one pumpkin
The recipe for pumpkin porridge may not contain cereal at all. Cut the desired amount of orange vegetable with nutmeg flavor into small cubes, pour in milk, immediately add a pinch of salt and as much sugar as you like.
Cook over low heat until the pieces begin to soften. Stir and make sure that the milk does not run away. When ready, turn off and add butter.
Recipe for pumpkin porridge in the microwave. Grate the peeled pumpkin, add the same amount of grated apple, sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar, ginger and cinnamon, mix. Microwave for 20 minutes at maximum power. A delicious, lean and low-calorie dinner is ready.
Artistic pumpkin recipes
Old Russian pumpkin rice porridge recipe. Cook 120 grams of rice for two servings. Cut a piece of pumpkin into cubes, simmer in water for 10 minutes, then the same amount, adding a glass of milk. Fry a handful of raisins with butter in a frying pan, add boiled rice there, sprinkle with lemon juice and continue frying for two minutes.
At the end of the process, combine rice porridge with pumpkin in milk and simmer for another five minutes. You can add a little lemon zest for flavor. When ready, add honey. Ideally, this porridge turns out crumbly, similar to fruit pilaf.
Pumpkin hominy recipe. Corn porridge You can also flavor it with pumpkin. To do this, you need to separately boil the orange pulp cut into pieces, cool and grind in a blender. Cook corn grits as usual, in a 1:3 ratio to water and in time depending on the grind size. Boil the pumpkin puree again and add, stirring, to the prepared cereal. Sugar, butter - optional.
Recipe for pots: porridge with pumpkin, rice and millet
To prepare porridge according to this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
You should get three small pots of tasty and beautiful porridge. Rinse the cereals in several waters and place them on the bottom of the pots. Pumpkin fruit or cut into small cubes, or grate. Place on top of the cereal.
Pour the milk evenly and add a piece of butter. Cover the pots and put in the oven. Set it to 220 degrees and wait 50 minutes for the result. Then take out the porridge and wait another 15–20 minutes until it infuses. The long wait will be rewarded with an unusually delicious meal. Before serving, sprinkle the porridge with crushed nuts and powdered sugar.
Millet or rice porridge baked in pumpkin
This extraordinary recipe can be used, if not on holidays, then at some Maslenitsa parties. The appearance of the finished dish will surprise everyone!
Choose a not very large, tasty fruit, about 25 cm in diameter. Cut off the “lid” from the side of the stalk. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp as much as possible. The walls of the pumpkin pot should remain no thinner than 1 cm. Remove the pulp. grate and put it back into the “vessel”. You can also add some raisins or dried apricots there.
Scald with boiling water or cook a glass of millet or rice until half cooked. Boil milk sweetened with sugar or honey and lightly salted (1 liter). All this send after the pulp, mix. Finally, add the butter in pieces. The entire mass should not reach the top of the “vessel” slightly.
Cover with the cut-off “lid”, place in a frying pan or on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for an hour at 180 degrees. If you don’t rush and after an hour, remove the “lid” to keep the dish in the oven until a golden brown crust forms, then the resulting work of culinary art will be greeted with applause.
In such an original pot you can cook and unsweetened barley porridge. To do this, take a glass of pearl barley and 100 grams of grated carrots. Boil in water until half cooked. You don't have to add pumpkin pulp to the filling. Place in a “pot”, add a glass of sour cream and salt. Bake for an hour at 180 degrees. The result is a tasty and original side dish.
Before putting the pumpkin in the oven, it is recommended wrap in foil. Then not only the filling, but also the pot itself will be edible. Cool ready dish It’s better without removing it from the foil. When serving, cut the pumpkin along with the porridge into slices. If the filling is sweet, then decorate with nuts or whipped cream.
Here is only a small part of the recipes tasty and tender porridge from pumpkin fruit. Having mastered the principles of their preparation, you can then follow the flight of your imagination. By the way, dishes made from cereals and pumpkin successfully participate in other national cuisines, for example, the famous Azerbaijani pilaf borana, Armenian khapama, Tatar balish. But that is another story.
○● Hi all○●
Fall is in full swing, and the staple of fall is, of course, pumpkin. In October, pumpkins are everywhere - they are used to prepare dishes, decorate homes and shop windows, and main holiday It’s impossible to imagine Halloween without a pumpkin in the fall!
○● About the benefits of pumpkin○●
Hundreds of articles and scientific treatises have been written about the benefits of pumpkin. Everyone knows that it contains a huge amount of vitamins, microelements and substances beneficial to the body:
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, E, D, PP, K, group B and quite rare vitamin T.
It also includes pectins, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, glucose, fructose.
Minerals - fluorine, magnesium, potassium, copper, calcium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, iodine.
Complete list of all beneficial properties pumpkins can be read below ↓↓↓↓ :
· has a positive effect on intestinal function
· reduces the risk of developing hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system;
· stimulates kidney activity, biochemical processes in the liver;
Helps maintain and strengthen vision;
· removes cholesterol, toxins, waste from the body;
· increases human immune functions;
· has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, having a calming effect (irritability is overcome, sleep improves, attention and memory are activated);
○● How to choose a pumpkin?○●
Pumpkin, like many other products, came to us from North America. There are hundreds of its varieties and varieties in the world. In our latitudes there are only a few types of pumpkin.
But even these several varieties are very different from each other and you need to be able to choose them correctly.
So, when buying a pumpkin, pay attention to:
- Appearance. There should be no damage or black spots on the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin stem. It is better not to buy a pumpkin without a tail, because without a tail it quickly deteriorates and it is not known how long it has already been lying on the seller’s counter.
- Sometimes there is a pumpkin white coating, which you don’t have to be afraid of. Pumpkin produces a natural wax that protects it from damage and drying out. This fruit will be stored much longer.
When choosing a pumpkin, you must also pay attention to its variety, because the taste of the future dish greatly depends on this.
○● Types of pumpkin○●
- Muscatpumpkin
External difference- This is an oblong shape that resembles an elongated pear.
The difference between this pumpkin this is its sweet and aromatic pulp. Some people also call this pumpkin honey. It makes amazing baked goods and desserts. This pumpkin is definitely the most delicious! You can even eat it raw or add it raw to salads.
The rind of this pumpkin is very thin and soft, but the flesh, on the contrary, is hard and difficult to cut.
It is better to choose butternut squash with bright orange flesh.
But this variety of pumpkin retains its taste until December, and in winter it becomes less tasty and aromatic.
- Hard barkpumpkin
External difference– egg-shaped elongated shape.
The difference between this pumpkin- the most delicious and healthy seeds. It is from this pumpkin that it is best to dry the seeds.
From the name it is clear that its skin is very hard and cutting it without a strong man’s hand is very difficult.
This pumpkin doesn't last long at all. Over time, the pulp becomes bitter, so it is better to eat it quickly.
The pulp of this pumpkin is also best suited for meat dishes.
- Large pumpkin
External difference- round shape and slightly flattened. Its colors may be different, but such a pumpkin will always be flattened.
The difference between this pumpkin- it can be stored for a very long time and it is better to eat it in winter, because over time its pulp becomes tastier. By the way, it can be stored until spring.
It has very hard flesh that is difficult to cut.
Large-fruited pumpkin is best used as a side dish for meat dishes, because its pulp is not so sweet and is more reminiscent of potatoes due to its high starch content. The dessert from it will not be very tasty.
- Decorative pumpkins
These include all kinds of pumpkins of unusual shape and appearance. They look very interesting and attractive, but they are absolutely not edible. Their flesh is very bitter.
This pumpkin is only suitable as decoration or decoration.
○● Pumpkin face masks○●
Pumpkin is rich in vitamin E, thanks to which cosmetic masks made from pumpkin have a beneficial effect on the skin. Of course, pumpkin masks are not so popular, so not many people know about them.
I’ll tell you about a universal face mask that tones the skin and is suitable for all skin types.
For such a mask we will need:
For a uniform texture, I pureed the pumpkin puree in a blender and mixed it with the yolk and a teaspoon of honey.
* During cooking, pumpkin absorbs a lot of excess water, which we do not need at all. Before making pumpkin puree, squeeze out the pumpkin pieces through cheesecloth folded several times.
Leave the resulting mask for 15 minutes and then wash off with warm water.
○● Traditional pumpkin pie recipe○●
My favorite thing is pumpkin baking. Today I will share with you a recipe for a traditional pumpkin pie that will cheer you up on a rainy fall day.
To make pumpkin pie you will need:
So, let's start preparing the dough itself:
1. Sift 3 cups of flour (approx. 400 g). Add a pinch of salt and room temperature butter to the flour.
2. Mix the softened butter well with your hands until fine crumbs form.
3. Add an egg to the crumbly crumbs, which will combine everything into a single mass.
4. Knead the dough into a ball, which we place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator until it becomes completely elastic.
6. Grease the baking dish with butter. To be on the safe side, I also added baking paper.
7. Using your hands, knead the dough into shape and make sides.
* There is no need to roll out the dough because it is very elastic and pliable. It was more convenient for me to put the dough into the mold with my hands, but if you prefer using a rolling pin, you can roll out the dough.
Place baking parchment on the bottom and sprinkle with peas. This will prevent the dough from puffing up.
8. Place the dough in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 190 degrees. The cake should set slightly and dry.
Now it's time to prepare the filling:
9 .Cut the pumpkin into medium-sized pieces and send it to cook.
10 . Grind the boiled pumpkin into puree.
* Squeeze the pumpkin a little before mashing with your hands. This will remove excess water, which is completely unnecessary in the filling.
11. Add 2 eggs to pumpkin puree
12. Add sugar
13. To the almost finished filling add liquid cream 33% fat, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
* Do not use cream with a lower fat content, because the filling will not thicken and will remain liquid.
14. Take out the oven-dried crust
15. Pour the filling into it and send it to the oven for 45-50 minutes at 180 degrees.
16. Take the finished pie out of the oven. The filling will turn bright orange. The pie must cool down. leave it for 30 minutes and only then remove it from the mold.
This is the pie I made. Paired with ginger tea, it's just to die for!
Autumn is a wonderful time of the year! Go to the park, collect leaves and make bouquets and garlands from them. Take out a warm blanket and watch your favorite movies with a cup of aromatic tea. Autumn is not the time to be mopey!
○● I hope that the review was interesting and useful for you○●
Pumpkin: history and distribution, composition, benefits, types, medicinal properties and contraindications for use, photos.
Pumpkins are the fruits of plants of the same name from the Cucurbitaceae family, which are annual or perennial, clinging or creeping herbs with large leaves and fairly large white or yellowish flowers.
History and distribution
America is considered the birthplace of pumpkin, where it began to be grown 5 thousand years ago. It was from there that the pumpkin was brought to Russia around the 16th century, where it easily took root and quickly spread due to its unpretentiousness. The Indians loved pumpkin very much: they smoked it, fried slices of fruit over a fire, baked it in hot ash with spices, honey and milk, and made rugs and dishes from the dried fruits. Many pumpkin recipes that have become popular in different countries(including old Russian ones) are similar to old American ones. The traditional South American drink mate is still brewed today in a special vessel made from a small rare pumpkin.
Types of pumpkin
Pumpkin can be found growing wild in warm regions of Africa, Asia and America. Many types of this vegetable are cultivated by humans not only for their tasty fruits, but also for decorative purposes. In addition, there are fodder, oilseed and medicinal varieties. Musical instruments are made from stinking pumpkin, and the fruits of the giant pumpkin are record holders among all vegetables: the largest specimen was grown in Canada, this giant weighed more than 800 kg. Decorative types of pumpkins add a special flavor to the front garden and make it feel rustic, especially together with sunflowers and beans. The most popular decorative varieties are Malabar pumpkin, turban pumpkin, warty pumpkin, star pumpkin, bicolor pumpkin and mandarin pumpkin. In Russia, they cultivate nutmeg, large-fruited (ordinary) and hard-skinned pumpkins; the latter has very tender and sweet pulp, which allows it to be used in a wide variety of dishes.
Composition and calorie content of pumpkin
Pumpkin fruits contain about 90% water. With its low calorie content, the aromatic pulp is a valuable source of vitamins and mineral salts important for health - magnesium, copper, zinc, fluorine, cobalt and silicon. Pumpkin is especially rich in carotene, which is good for vision, and iron - in terms of its content, the yellow-skinned beauty pumpkin is a record holder among vegetables. In addition, pumpkin contains tocopherol, vitamin C, nicotinic acid, B vitamins, enzymes, pectins, starch and fiber. But the aromatic pulp is especially valued for the presence of vitamin K, which is very little or not present in other vegetables; It is necessary for humans for normal blood clotting. Pumpkin contains another valuable and rare vitamin - carnitine (vitamin T), it helps digest heavy foods and prevents obesity, and carnitine is also necessary for people suffering from clear bleeding. IN large quantities Pectin substances are also found in pumpkin: they help rid the body of harmful cholesterol, toxins and excess fluid.
Pumpkin calorie content is 19-27 kcal. The nutritional value: carbohydrates – 4.4-7.7 g, proteins – 1-1.3 g, fats – 0.1-0.3 g.
The benefits and medicinal properties of pumpkin
Why pumpkin is useful - its high potassium content makes pumpkin indispensable for diseases of the circulatory system. Even ancient healers, including Avicenna, recommended it for the treatment of many ailments. Even with gallstones and gastrointestinal diseases, pumpkin is recommended to be included in the diet, because this vegetable contains practically no organic acids and coarse fiber. Pumpkin is good for the kidneys, and for the heart, and for vision, and for hematopoiesis, this wonderful vegetable is able to improve the circulation of fluids inside the tissues, it perfectly relieves swelling, activates the liver, strengthens blood vessels, and improves digestion. Pumpkin is a wonderful dietary product and an excellent choice for fasting days.
Fresh pumpkin juice with the addition of honey has a calming effect on the nervous system and treats insomnia; It is useful to take this mixture at night. Pumpkin porridge with rice, semolina and millet is recommended to be consumed when there are problems with the liver. A paste made from fresh pulp is used to treat skin affected by eczema, apply it to burns, and make compresses to relieve pain in the feet. Regular consumption of pumpkin is a prevention of pyelonephritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer. Pumpkin is useful for constipation, hypertension, high acidity of the stomach and kidney diseases. Oil pumpkin is used to treat urolithiasis.
The benefits of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds, considered a cure for depression in China, contain linolenic acid, which strengthens arteries, and are a source of important health substances such as phosphorus, copper, iron, protein and fiber. In addition, they contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, vitamins (folic acid, niacin, tocopherol) and amino acids (glutamic acid, arginine).
Pumpkin seeds have long been used as an effective anthelmintic (you need to eat 100 g of this drug for breakfast, washing it down with water); Unlike many other anthelmintic drugs, pumpkin seeds do not have a toxic effect on the body and have no contraindications; in dried form, it is useful to give them to children to avoid such problems.
Pumpkin seeds improve digestion, so it is good to eat them after meals. And it's also good natural remedy for the prevention of bladder diseases. But that's it healing properties pumpkin seeds are not running out. Their most important advantage is their enormous benefits for men's health. Pumpkin seeds are a proven remedy for the prevention of prostatitis and prostate adenoma. It is enough to eat 60-70 grains a day to prevent such problems.
Contraindications to eating pumpkin
For all its usefulness, pumpkin has the following contraindications: gastritis with low acidity, disturbance of acid-base balance in the body, diabetes, stomach and duodenal ulcers, exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases. Boiled pumpkin should not be washed down with cold drinks.
How to choose a pumpkin
A good pumpkin has a smooth, intact skin that is firm but not woody, and the flesh is rich yellow or bright orange (depending on the variety; the oranger the better). Choose pumpkins weighing up to 5 kg. In fruits that are too large, the pulp may be dry, watery, and bitter in taste. And the small fruits taste soft and sweet. Large pumpkins with bluish skin are also tasty. A ripe pumpkin has large and ripe seeds, and the tail is dark and dry. If it is cut, it is quite possible that the vegetable has been picked ahead of schedule, and he simply did not have time to mature. Poor fruits have a limp appearance and tasteless or fibrous flesh.
How to store pumpkin
In dark, dry and cool rooms - basements, cellars, pumpkin can be stored for a whole year, especially winter varieties. But fruits with intact skin and an intact stalk will last all winter even at room temperature; the main thing is to choose the darkest and coolest place for them. If the rind is damaged, you can freeze the pumpkin: cut off the peel, remove the insides with seeds, cut, put in plastic bags and put in the freezer. If you wrap the pumpkin slices in foil, they will feel great even in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Pumpkin photos
Pumpkin is rightly considered one of the healthiest vegetables. All over the world it is valued for its taste, medicinal and dietary properties. The pulp, seeds, and young inflorescences are used to make soups, pies, salads and desserts. And all these dishes are tasty, healthy and safe for your figure. Try it, enjoy it and be healthy!
Choose the best varieties pumpkins are no easy task these days. Breeders have bred more than a hundred varieties of pumpkin. Each type has its own advantages and weaknesses. Pumpkin varieties are adapted to different regions of the country, are differently demanding of climatic conditions and have different taste qualities.
Let's look at the strengths and weaknesses of the most common varieties and choose the best pumpkin varieties based on several indicators.
Main varieties of pumpkin
To understand the variety of varieties that exist today, you need to know their types. They are usually divided into four groups:
- Muscat varieties. These are the varieties that have a reputation for being the most delicious, but they are the most sensitive to heat. In the conditions of our country, such varieties simply do not have time to ripen if grown from seeds. But growing from seedlings gives a completely satisfactory harvest. Butternut squash seeds are brown, sometimes with a yellow tint.
- Large-fruited varieties. The sweetest pumpkin is the large-fruited variety. The seeds of this pumpkin are white and very tasty. This pumpkin stores well, but takes up a lot of space, and its fruits are heavy. This makes it difficult to transport the crop, so summer residents who do not have personal transport often choose varieties not from this group.
- Hard-barked varieties. This group includes not only pumpkins, but also zucchini and squash. The fruits of this group are small, they grow well in temperate climates and ripen quickly. By the end of August-September, the fruits of these pumpkins are ready for consumption. They are also valued because the small pumpkin is convenient for harvesting, transporting and storing the crop. Its seeds are cream-colored and very tasty.
- Decorative varieties. The fruits of this species are not used for food due to the bitter pulp. But the hard, well-dried fruits are used in making a variety of crafts, and pumpkin vines with velvety dark green leaves and bright large flowers serve as an excellent decoration for the estate.
The sweetest pumpkin
Much of the taste of pumpkin is determined by its sweetness. The sugar content of a vegetable depends on many factors: the quality of the soil, the number of sunny days during ripening, watering and many other factors. But still, the most important factor here is the quality of the variety. The sweetest pumpkin varieties belong to the group of large-fruited varieties. Here are the names most loved by gardeners in our country:
- hundred pound- this variety has enjoyed a long, well-deserved reputation. The plant has long, strong vines and large fruits. The fruit can reach 120 kg, but most often its weight is from 7 to 10 kg. The flesh of this pumpkin is loose, yellow with an orange tint. The Hundred Pound does not accumulate much sugar, so the species is used as fodder. But her resistance to disease is very high.
- Marble- a variety whose fruits are medium in size (about 4 kg) and whose lashes are long. The skin of the fruit is gray, gray-green or green with speckles or veins of a lighter shade. The fruits have a flattened shape. The pumpkin pulp is orange, bright, crunchy when raw and very sweet in taste. But even when baked, Marble pumpkin does not disappoint. Its productivity is high. The fruits are well stored and are little susceptible to rotting.
- Variety Smile Suitable for gardeners who cannot allocate a large area for vegetables. The plant was originally bred by breeders as an ornamental plant, but after improving the varietal qualities, the taste of the fruit also improved significantly. Smile is an early variety; the harvest ripens in 3 months. The yield is high, about 10 pumpkins per root. The pumpkin size is small (about 2 kg). Pumpkins are flattened in shape and have a bright orange color with white stripes. They are very decorative. The pulp is orange, sweet, with a melon smell. Fruits can be stored in an apartment for up to 160 days.
- Sweetie- mid-season variety with small pumpkins (1-2 kg) of a bright orange or almost red hue. One plant produces many pumpkins, which ripen in 116-120 days. The pulp is rich ascorbic acid and is one of the sweetest. The plant is frost resistant.
- Atlant. Unlike the previous variety, Atlant is a giant even by the standards of large-fruited pumpkins. The average weight of the fetus is about 20 kg, and records are up to 70 kg! Pumpkins are orange in color, oblong in shape with a small but pronounced division into segments. Atlant pumpkin pulp is tender and sweet in taste. The species is resistant to diseases, and its fruits almost do not rot during storage.
- Melon. Melon pumpkin got its name for its aroma, similar to that of melon. Round, large orange fruits can reach up to 30 kg in weight. Good taste makes it optimal for use in baby food and for making juices. Other advantages are productivity, unpretentiousness, resistance to rot during storage.
Butternut squash came from South America, but has firmly won its place in the gardens of our country thanks to its tasty pulp, rich in vitamins and microelements. The fruits of nutmeg varieties are excellent for making crafts. For example, the famous symbol of the Halloween holiday is traditionally made from nutmeg pumpkin.
The most famous and widespread types of nutmeg include:
- golden pear. The vegetable got its name from the unusual shape of pumpkins, resembling a drop. This variety is relatively new, but it has already won the recognition of gardeners. Small (up to 2 kg) fruits ripen in about 3 months. The Golden Pear's small size makes it easy to collect and store, and its disease resistance makes growing this plant easy. The pulp of the fruit is sweet, with a nutty flavor. The dense, juicy pulp can be consumed both raw and baked.
- Arbatskaya. If the previous variety is a new product, then the Arbat pumpkin is a choice that has stood the test of time. The pumpkin is pear-shaped, elongated, yellow with an orange tint. The fruits ripen quite late and can weigh up to 20 kg. The harvest is well stored and is suitable for both food and livestock feed.
- Vitamin. A late variety with large pinkish-brown oval pumpkins covered with greenish spots. The plant is powerful, each root produces 4-5 long, thick vines. The flesh is almost red. It contains a lot of carotene and is very sweet. The harvest is well stored without requiring special conditions.
- Prikubanskaya. An old, well-tested species with proven agricultural technology. The fruits are relatively small (2-3 kg), pear-shaped, divided into segments by shallow grooves. The advantages of the vegetable are stable yield, resistance to rotting, tasty, juicy pulp of a bright orange hue.
- Butternut- perhaps the most classic representative of the nutmeg varietal group. Due to the bright, pronounced nutty flavor of the pulp, this type is also called nutmeg or nutmeg. The plant has long, highly branched vines. Small pumpkins resemble an elongated pear in structure. The skin of the fruit is brown, and the flesh is bright orange, fibrous, oily to the touch and very good in taste. The harvest ripens quite late. No cellar is required for storage.
Variety Butternut
Something about unusual varieties...
Of course, classic varieties are a reliable, time-tested choice that guarantees a good harvest. But a good gardener is always by nature an experimenter, looking for something new and not stopping at previously achieved successes. For exotic lovers, a pumpkin is an excellent and very rewarding object. Domestic and foreign breeders have created and introduced unusual types of vegetables.
Mirani di Chioggia- a variety of nutmeg pumpkin that appeared on Italian soil, but recently in domestic gardens. The plant looks very unusual thanks to its flattened fruits of a bluish-green hue, sitting on long thick stalks. The surface of the fruit is divided into segments and seated with numerous tubercles. The cut of the fruit looks very decorative due to the contrast of the bluish-green skin with the yellow-orange color of the pulp. The seed nest is small, the flesh is dry, dense and sweet. The pumpkin harvest of this variety can be stored for up to 6 months!
There is also gymnosperm pumpkin. As the name suggests, the seeds of this variety do not have a shell, so they are very good for use in confectionery products, and simply for food. The fruits are mid-ripening and quite resistant to rot during storage. The pulp is not very sweet, but is quite suitable for food.
This variety is quite capricious; the seeds often rot and germinate poorly because they do not have a protective skin. Therefore, it is better to grow such plants from seedlings. The area for gymnosperms should be set aside from pumpkins of another variety, as cross-pollination gives disappointing results. This vegetable also does not welcome humidity and drought. Getting a harvest of this type is not an easy task even for an expert in pumpkin cultivation.
Variety Spaghetti also an unusual look. When cooked, the pulp of this vegetable breaks down into fibers resembling vermicelli; hence the name. The variety is early ripening, the first pumpkins will be ready by the end of August. The fruits are similar in color and shape to melons and are small in size (about 1 kg), which makes harvesting and transportation easy. The pulp is not juicy, but sweet, with a vanilla aroma.
Arina is a light gray or white pumpkin with a round shape and a smooth or slightly segmented surface. The pulp is sweet to taste, dense, yellow in color. The vegetable is well stored, high-yielding, and resistant to many diseases characteristic of the vegetable. The peculiarity of the variety is its seeds, rich in oil. They can be used in folk medicine.
As you can see, pumpkin is a very diverse garden crop with a wide variety of qualities. different types. Among the variety of varieties, any gardener will find something to suit his taste. But no matter what type you choose, remember the need to follow the agricultural technology required for the variety. Pumpkin is a very grateful plant that will repay a little care with a good harvest!
Pumpkin baked in the oven is a tasty, aromatic and healthy delicacy. There are many recipes for baked pumpkin: with meat, with vegetables, with syrup and sugar. But best of all, it seems to me, the taste inherent in this fruit is revealed by simply baking the pumpkin with a small amount of vegetable oil. Today I will tell you how to choose the right pumpkin and bake it deliciously in the oven.
Pumpkin, cut into pieces and baked in the oven, can be perfectly used as a preparation for first and second courses, as well as a variety of desserts and snacks. But oven-baked pumpkin itself is a tasty and very healthy snack.This is a complete dish that is not embarrassing to put on the table. Baked pumpkin retains the whole complex useful vitamins and microelements.
And, for all its nutritional value, baked pumpkin is a low-calorie, light dish, which means you don’t have to worry about extra centimeters on your waist.
Which pumpkin is best for baking?
Pumpkin is different from pumpkin. Which pumpkin is better to choose for baking to please yourself and your loved ones? Different varieties of pumpkins have different advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the most popular of them, because choosing the right pumpkin is very important to obtain the desired result.
butternut squash
Butternut squash is the sweetest, spiced pumpkin, with a nutty flavor and wonderful aroma. Butternut squash is so sweet that even when preparing desserts from it, many housewives do not add sugar. 
The shape of the nutmeg pumpkin is oblong, with a rounded thickening on the flower side and resembles either a pear or a guitar. This type of pumpkin is distinguished by a thin, delicate peel and bright, juicy, sweet pulp.
Butternut squash is a summer variety. Therefore, this pumpkin is not stored for very long; it reaches the peak of its taste and benefits at the beginning of autumn and lasts until December. There is no point in storing pumpkin for longer, since its beneficial and tasteful qualities are gradually lost.
If you want to make a dessert, I think it’s already clear which pumpkin is best to choose for baking. Of course, nutmeg.
Hardbark pumpkin
As you probably guessed, judging by the name, the main difference between this pumpkin is its hard, smooth skin. Externally, hard-skinned pumpkins usually have an oval or oblong shape, at times resembling an egg with a smooth, often spotted, skin.
The pulp of hard-rind pumpkin has a neutral, rather bland, taste. Therefore, it is great for preparing first or hot dishes, as well as salty snacks. After all, in such dishes, excessive sweetness only interferes and spoils the taste.
But hard-skinned pumpkin has very tasty seeds with a thin skin. And in some varieties there is no skin on the seeds at all.
But because of this property, it will not be possible to store hard-rind pumpkin for a long time. These seeds germinate too quickly, which causes the pulp to go rancid, which means it precludes the preparation of pumpkin dishes.
If the hard-rind pumpkin has not been stored for long, now you know which pumpkin is best to choose for baking for the purpose of preparing side dishes, appetizers and first courses.
Large pumpkin
The large-fruited pumpkin is the most “classic” in shape: wide, flattened, sometimes smooth, sometimes slightly ribbed.
Usually this is what we imagined when we read the fairy tale about Cinderella or prepared for Halloween.
The peculiarity of large-fruited pumpkin is that it only becomes tastier when stored. It is worth storing it longer, because over time, the starch contained in large quantities in this type of pumpkin gradually turns into sugar.
So, how to choose the right large-fruited pumpkin for baking? In the fall, when the pumpkin is still fresh, it is suitable for preparing savory first courses, side dishes and snacks. In winter and spring, large-fruited pumpkin is an excellent product for desserts.
How to choose a pumpkin?
What should you pay attention to when choosing pumpkin for baking or other preparation? How to choose the right pumpkin?The first thing you should pay attention to, of course, is the size. Think right away why you need a pumpkin and how you will cook it. Don't think that the more the better. After all, fruits that are too large have a fibrous structure.
You are unlikely to process all of it at once, and you should not store cut pumpkin for a long time - it still begins to deteriorate and lose its taste.
It is better to use a medium-sized pumpkin for cooking. It is more tender, juicier, and easier to cook with.
The next point in the question of how to choose the right pumpkin is its appearance. The shell must be free of deformations and stains. In general, it’s better when the pumpkin is whole.
The fruit, which is sold in pieces, could quite possibly be cut specially to hide errors or rotten areas.
Also, the pumpkin peel should not be too soft and easily pressed, this is also one of the signs of immaturity.
Having a pumpkin stalk also has its advantages. A mature pumpkin has a dry tail. If the tail is missing, this may indicate that the pumpkin is unripe. And the pumpkin usually spoils from the tail, and its absence can cause rotting.
If you're buying a pumpkin in early fall, it's a good idea to have a little waxy coating protecting the pumpkin. This is a natural property of the plant to protect its fruit.
This plaque wears off very quickly during transportation, and its presence indicates that the pumpkin is fresh and has not been subjected to long-term transportation and storage.
That's all about how to choose the right pumpkin for baking.
How to deliciously bake pumpkin in pieces in the oven?
Once you've decided on the size, shape and quantity, it's time to start preparing the pumpkin for baking. In this section of the article I will tell you how to peel a pumpkin, as well as how to deliciously bake pumpkin in the oven in pieces.
How to peel a pumpkin
So how do you peel a pumpkin? Wash the pumpkin thoroughly and cut off the part needed for baking. Separate the seeds along with the soft partitions in which they are located; they are not needed when baking.
But pumpkin seeds, peeled from the remaining pulp, washed and dried in the oven, can be cracked with pleasure and great health benefits.
Then peel the pumpkin like you peel potatoes. Cut the peeled and trimmed pumpkin pulp into small pieces.
You should not cut the pumpkin pulp too thin if you do not want crispy chips. Baked pumpkin is much tastier, but at the same time retains its juiciness and softness.
We figured out how to peel and cut a pumpkin. Now let’s talk about how to deliciously bake pumpkin in the oven in pieces.
Which pumpkin tastes better: with or without sugar?
Which pumpkin tastes better: with or without sugar? Whether to bake pumpkin with or without sugar depends on why you essentially started the whole baking process.
If you use baked pumpkin as a dessert, this is one thing, but if you use it for preparing appetizers or main courses, it is completely different.
One thing is clear, oven-baked pumpkin will definitely be delicious.
Oven baked pumpkin recipe
Natural baked pumpkin is the basis for preparing various dishes. All other baking methods are only derivatives.
I offer a recipe for oven-baked pumpkin. By customizing this recipe as you see fit, you can add an endless variety of healthy pumpkin dishes to your diet.
Oven baked pumpkin recipe, next. For baking you will need:
- pumpkin – 1.5 kg;
- vegetable oil;
- water – 0.5 cups.
Cut the prepared and peeled pumpkin into convenient pieces. Grease the sheet with vegetable oil and place the pumpkin on the baking sheet. Add some water.
To deliciously bake pumpkin pieces in the oven, the pumpkin needs to be well heated to a temperature of about 180-200ºC. Then bake for 30 minutes over low heat.
Check the doneness of the baked pumpkin with a toothpick or fork.
Pumpkin baked in pieces with sugar in the oven
A tasty, healthy and easy-to-prepare dessert is pumpkin baked with sugar or powdered sugar.By recipe for pumpkin pieces baked with sugar in the oven, you will need:
- pumpkin – 1-1.5 kg;
- powdered sugar (sugar) – 3-4 tbsp. spoons;
- vegetable oil;
- water – 150 gr.
Cut the pumpkin into small slices. Then place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil.
Add some water. Sprinkle powdered sugar or sugar on top.
Preheat the oven to a temperature of 180-200ºC and bake the pumpkin over low heat. In 25-30 minutes, the pumpkin baked with sugar will be ready.
Let it cool a little, and a delicious, healthy dessert is ready. If everything is done correctly, then pumpkin baked in the oven in pieces with sugar according to my recipe will become tasty, sweet, somewhat reminiscent of marmalade.
If you want to add more benefits and taste to this wonderful dish, replace the sugar natural honey or sprinkle with more cinnamon. Then a dessert made from oven-baked pumpkin will be much more aromatic, piquant and healthier.
As you can see, deliciously baking pumpkin slices in the oven is not so difficult. Use your imagination and add foods and spices at your discretion. Nuts, spices, and herbs wonderfully complement the taste of pumpkin. You can bake other vegetables and sweet fruits with pumpkin.
As a side dish, it will perfectly complement meat and fish dishes. Baked pumpkin is also used to make great delicious soups. The range of uses for pumpkin is so wide that all the methods of preparing it cannot be covered in one article.
My task today was to tell you how to choose the right pumpkin and bake it deliciously in the oven. I hope my recipes for pumpkin baked in pieces in the oven with and without sugar will help you create a culinary masterpiece from this wonderful fruit.