A pumpkin is really a squash. It is a member of the Cucurbita family, which includes squash and cucumbers.

Pumpkins are grown all over the world on six of the seven continents, with Antarctica being the sole exception. They are even grown in Alaska.

At the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm, we plant our pumpkins in July and it takes about 90 days for them to mature.

The History of Pumpkins

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America. Seeds from related plants found in Mexico dating back over 7000 years to 5500 BC.

Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians. Pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. They also brought seeds back to Europe where they quickly became popular. Just like today, early settlers used pumpkins in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. In addition to cooking with pumpkins, they also dried the shells and cut strips to weave into mats.

Early settlers made pumpkin pie by filling a hollowed out shell with milk, honey and spices, then baking it. Whether they learned this from Native Americans is not known.