The fall season is filled with an abundance of seasonal festivities, like fun hayrides, Halloween parties, and, of course, mandatory visits to the pumpkin patch. Families enjoy exploring fields in search of perfectly round, bright orange pumpkins to decorate when they return home. They grow abundantly across farms during the fall months, eliciting a variety of warm feelings and loving sentiments for the upcoming holidays. It is a time of year when families gather together for meals and celebrations. Next time everyone is around the table, have some fun sharing the most interesting facts about pumpkins.
Information About Pumpkins
Kids can find inspiration for all their fall decorating projects by reading pumpkin picture books that are filled with original, creative artwork. The illustrations in these stories show pumpkins springing to life and enjoying all the seasonal festivities. There are pictures of jack-o-lanterns with jagged teeth and harrowing eyes perched on porches, ready to scare anyone who dares to pass by. Kids will even love making their own spooky creation, scooping out seeds and baking them for a tasty snack along the way. Meanwhile, here are some intriguing facts about pumpkins to share with your little ones while putting your creative juices to work.
Pumpkin Production in the United States
The United States produces 2 billion pounds every single year.
Approximately 1.5 billion pounds of viable pumpkins are produced from a crop that totals about 2 billion pounds. To amass this enormous volume, close to 65,000 farm acreage is dedicated to this crop, of which over 75% is available in the month of October.
Six states are responsible for more than half of all harvesting across the country.
The top state is Illinois, with 17,600 acres dedicated to harvesting pumpkins, more than twice the acreage of any other state in the country. The next five states- California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia- all dedicate between 4,200 and 6,300 acres just to pumpkins.
Nutritional Value of Pumpkins
Pumpkins are actually a fruit.
Botanists classify pumpkins as a fruit because they are borne from the seed-bearing flower of a plant. Vegetables are the actual parts of the plant that are edible, like leaves, stems, roots, and bulbs. People tend to associate pumpkins with vegetables because the flavory leans toward savory rather than sweet. In fact, they are in the same family as cucumbers and melons.
They are packed full of vitamins and minerals.
They are full of heart-healthy magnesium, contain more potassium than bananas and more fiber than kale. This fruit, while not consumed at the same rate as other tastier options, is just as rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and fiber are few examples contained in this nutrient-dense, heart healthy food that boosts the immune system and aids in weight loss.
If you are really hungry, you can eat almost every single part of a pumpkin.
You may know that seeds and pulp can be eaten, but so are the stem, skin, leaves, flowers, and even the roots. The stalk is the only part that cannot be easily consumed by humans. They are part of the squash family which boasts a long list of edible components. Some varieties are tastier than others, like sugar pie pumpkins with especially sweet flesh perfect for pies.
Pumpkin Varieties and Colors
Pumpkins come in at least 9 different colors.
Obviously orange is the most common pumpkin color by far. And most have probably spotted white pumpkins sold at farmer's markets and local stores during the fall season. But kids will be surprised to know that this fruit also appears in shades of green, blue, pink, tan, grey, yellow, and red. There are even striped varieties that add a fun flair to seasonal displays.
More than 200 varieties are available in the United States, with more developed by enterprising farmers.
This booming industry continues to expand with the cultivation of new varieties on a regular basis. One of the most common includes the Howden, ;an oval shaped version perfect for carving. The Jack-Be-Little is a tiny, 3-inch cutie that is great for indoor seasonal decor. The Hubbard is a unique, blue pumpkin that adds a nice contrast to displays. The Jarrahdale is more flat with a greyish exterior hue and bright orange flesh.
Pumpkin Sales and World Records
In 2023, a horticulture teacher beat a world record by growing a pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds.
Prior to this whopper, the heaviest pumpkin ever recorded was a 2,702 pounder from Italy in 2021, beating a one previously grown in Germany weighing in at 2,600 pounds. Then, on October 9, 2023, Travis Gienger destroyed the record with his gigantic entry in the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in California. Named Michael Jordan, this gigantic gourd was a lifetime in the making. Gienger grew up fascinated by contests held at local fairs. By the time he was fourteen, he produced a 470-pounder and went on to win the North American record in 2020 with one weighing 2,350. When he beat his own record in 2023, Gienger was rewarded with a lucrative prize for his efforts- a $30,000 paycheck.
Pumpkin flavored products generate an impressive $800 million in sales per year, a number that will continue to grow.
There is no other flavor that has created entire industry with an endless array of products bearing its aroma. Starbucks spearheaded the trend in 2003 with the introduction of its enormously popular pumpkin-spiced latte. Other companies jumped on the bandwagon, rolling out products during the fall months carrying this pleasing scent and taste. Some of the many examples include candles, lip balms, dog treats, Oreos, dog treats, cereal, tea, marshmallows, cheese, hot cocoa, ice cream, and just about anything else edible or aromatic.
