Dee,
I just found this over on a.b.r, posted by [censored] Margulis...
There are five general types of pumpkin, divided into two species.
Cucurbita maxima is grown primarily for world's-biggest-pumpkin
competitions and shopping mall displays. It is not generally used for
food and does not keep well, having a fairly thin rind.
C. pepo includes both the familiar ribbed, orange, reasonably round
fruit we call pumpkins in the US and the other winter squashes (called
pumpkins in Australia--don't know about UK) of various colors and shapes.
Within the group we Americans call pumpkins there are three types:
The sugar type (several cultivars, of which Small Sugar is typical) is
the preferred fruit for table use in the home (cooked vegetable or pie
filling). Interestingly, though, the brand of canned pumpkin generally
considered the highest quality for pies, Libby, is made from Golden
Delicious squash--still C. pepo, but it doesn't look like a pumpkin. In
other words, it's considered a better-eating "pumpkin" than even the
small sugar pumpkins.
The field type (several cultivars, of which Connecticut Field is
typical) is much larger, although never as large as C. maxima. The flesh
is stringier and does not cook up as well. Commercially, these are never
used for food, although surplus crop is sometimes fed to cattle (not a
lot of nutritional value there). This is the main type grown in the US
for jack o'lanterns. Rinds are tough, color is darker orange than the
small sugars or the C. maximas. Shapes vary quite a bit from squat to
round to blocky to tall, making for interesting lanterns. Grooves are
fairly deep. Surface tends to be somewhat irregular and bumpy.
The last class is the modern multi-purpose hybrid. These are always
larger than the sugar types and can be as large as mid-size field types.
They tend to be pretty uniformly round, less bumpy than the field types,
with somewhat shallower grooves and brighter orange color. These are
suitable for table use, although most are used for lanterns.
--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
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