Fairytale Pumpkin (2024)

FAQs

Are fairytale pumpkins good for eating? ›

Fairytale pumpkins are a type of winter squash with a sweet, buttery flavor that makes them great for pumpkin pies. They can be roasted, baked, sautéed, and simmered, as well as eaten raw.

Because of their names, and their similar shapes, Cinderella pumpkins are often confused with fairytale pumpkins. Fairytale pumpkins, also known as Musquée de Provence, are similar shape to Cinderella pumpkins, but they have an orange-brown color as opposed to the bright red-orange color of Cinderellas.

Fairytale pumpkins are medium to large in size, averaging 30-45 centimeters in diameter and weighing 15-20 pounds, and is round with a squat, flattened shape and a sturdy, light brown stem. The smooth rind is deeply lobed with prominent ribbing and transforms from a dark green to a rich light-brown to tan when mature.

Fairytale (Musque de Provence): Deeply ribbed French heirloom. Dark, shiny, green when immature but cures to a mahogany color. Tender, sweet and dense. Cheese Pumpkin: Resembles a flattened wheel of cheese; dusty, tan, thick skin with dense, burnt-orange flesh.

Kabocha. A popular Japanese variety, the Kabocha has a rough but edible peel, and a round plump shape. It can be dark green or bright orange-red, and has firm, orange flesh. One of the sweetest varieties of pumpkin, its flavour has been compared to sweet potato, while its firm flesh holds together well in the oven.

You can eat any variety of pumpkin. Varieties vary wildly in taste. Explore, enjoy and revel in the fact that a pumpkin is not just for Halloween. Whilst you can eat any variety of pumpkin or squash, if it tastes very bitter, stop eating.

Fairytale pumpkins are a hybrid developed in Europe in the 19th century and are most well-known in the Provence region in the south of France that borders Italy and includes the coastal French Riveria.

You can eat the seeds from any pumpkin variety.

Don't even try with a dull little knife. If you don't have a good knife, bake the pumpkin first, and then cut carefully. Fairytale pumpkins have a lot of “meat” so half of it can be used for sauce. If cooked right the pumpkin should resemble butternut squash and will peel away from the skin like butter.

The four common types are Traditional Orange Pumpkins for carving and decorating, Pie Pumpkins for baking, Giant Pumpkins like the Atlantic Giant for competitions, and decorative varieties like the white Lumina or the small Baby Boo for ornamental use.

What is the rarest type of pumpkin? ›

“Iran” is the rarest pumpkin we grow. It was first cataloged by the United States Department of Agriculture from seed collected in 1940 at Torbat-e-Heydariyeh, in north eastern Iran. The seed remained in storage until the 1990's when it was rescued by seed-man Glenn Drowns.

The ornamental orange and green striped Pumpkins weigh between 4 and 8 pounds, with 12 to 15 fruit per plant. Each Pumpkin contains about one pound of seeds. Harvest the seeds soon after harvest, before they start sprouting inside the Pumpkins.

Choose sweet varieties, such as Cinderella and peanut pumpkins if you want to bake pies, quick breads, or other desserts. Turban squash works well in savory dishes. Not sure what you want to cook? A Hubbard squash can be used in either sweet or savory dishes!

You can absolutely cook pumpkin the way you would cook any other winter squash. The varieties that are bred primarily for decorative use and Jack-o-lanterns may not be quite as flavorful or might be a bit stringier than pumpkins bred specifically for pies and other culinary uses but they are all edible.

Cinderella pumpkins are best suited for cooked applications such as roasting, baking, and steaming. Their sweet flavor and creamy texture make them ideal for use in baked goods and desserts such as pies, bread, muffins, cookies, and cakes. They can also be pureed and used to make pumpkin ice cream.