PUMPKIN TRIVIA
The word "pumpkin" showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella. The word comes from a French to English translation of "pompions." It wasn't until the 17th century that they were first referred to as pumpkins. Autumn announces the season of Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Halloween became popular once immigrants from Ireland and Scotland arrived in the mid-1800’s. Their October celebration marking the end of harvest season became Halloween. They had a tradition of carving faces into vegetables which they lit with candles to keep the spirits away. Although they originally used turnips, pumpkins are easier to carve and they became our Jack O'Lanterns.
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| Turnips carved to keep spirits away |
Pumpkins are 90% water and are packed with vitamins, minerals and are a good source of fiber plus they are relatively low in calories. They are gluten free and pumpkin flour can be used in place of wheat flour. Each pumpkin has about 500 seeds which are easy to toast for snacks.
Every single part of a pumpkin is edible. You can eat the skin, shell, pulp, seeds, leaves, green vines and even the blossoms but not the woody stem.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and clean off any pumpkin debris. Wash the seeds and lay them out on a baking sheet overnight to dry.
The next day, pre-heat the oven to 250°. Spread the seeds out evenly and lightly spray with olive oil spray and season with salt to taste.
Roast the seeds in the oven until the seeds become golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check and stir them occasionally as needed.
Let them cool and enjoy! Store in a covered jar. Use on salads or just to munch.
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