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Post by ncboman on Oct 26, 2006 23:32:00 GMT -5
Little Known Pumpkin Facts The word ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word, ‘pepon’, which means a ‘large melon.’ Pumpkins originated in Central America. Pumpkins are actually a fruit. Many people think it should be our national fruit. Pumpkin is really a squash. It is in the Curcurbita family along with squash and cucumbers. The yellow-orange flowers that bloom on the pumpkin vine are edible. Pumpkin seeds taste great roasted and contain medicinal properties. Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and its seeds long before the Pilgrims reached this continent. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans. Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians in 1620. The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was quite different than the pumpkin pie we enjoy today. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices and baking it. Early settlers dried pumpkins shells, cut it into strips and wove it into mats. Pumpkin has been prepared in a variety of ways from soups to stews to desserts since the immigration of the first European settlers. The ‘Pumpkin Capital of the World’ is Morton, Illinois. Home of Libby’s pumpkin industry. The state of Illinois grows the most pumpkins. It harvests about 12,300 acres of pumpkins annually. Each year, growers compete for the title of growing the world’s largest pumpkin. The largest recorded pumpkin grown was on October 1, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Weighoff. It weighed in at 1,469 pounds, breaking all previous world records. It was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, Penn. Pumpkins were formerly considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites. Natural medicine practioners have proven that consuming pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostrate disorders in men. www.farmersalmanactv.com/wit_and_wisdom/186.html
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Post by eshoremd on Oct 27, 2006 13:04:49 GMT -5
i ate a whole loaf of pumpkin bread the other day and it made my farts really stinky.
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Post by ncboman on Oct 27, 2006 16:39:45 GMT -5
i ate a whole loaf of pumpkin bread the other day and it made my farts really stinky. I'll have to try that ... and mix in a few boiled eggs for that down home aroma. Pickled eggs and beans n franks are fairly potent though. You never have to ask if they smelt it.
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Post by Rock Chuck on Oct 27, 2006 18:35:56 GMT -5
Squash, including zucchini, gourds, and pumpkins are the same species. They readily cross, both naturally and by hand. Breeders use this to incorporate disease resistance & other traits.
These giant pumpkins are more squash than pumpkin. They do a lot of cross-breeding to get those huge sizes.
They still are. Putting a hollowed out pumpkin over your head will hide freckles. Smashing a large pumpkin on a snake will reduce your chances of being bitting...provided you do it before the snake strikes and provided you're smart enough to not pick up the snake to see if it's dead yet.
Dick
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Post by freedomrules3 on Oct 28, 2006 21:59:23 GMT -5
Pumpkin records exist in both weight and carving. They can be found in the Guiness World Book of Records. Many organizations and festivals are held each fall around Giant Pumpkin weighoffs. More than one person display their expertise and speed at carving pumpkins. Here are the current records: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giant Pumpkins: In what has become an annual event, the world record has fallen once more. And, the 1,5000 pound barrier was broken. The largest pumpkin ever grown is 1,502 pounds. It was grown by Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island. It was weighed in on October 7, 2006 at the Rhode Island Weigh-off. How happy is a pumpkin grower when he is told that he has produced the largest pumpkin ever grown? Here is Ron's reaction..... Photos above, compliments of Bart Toftness, Wallingford, Ct ************************************** Pictured above, is the 2005 world record pumpkin. It weighed in at 1,469 pounds. It was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, Pennsylvania. It was weighed in on October 1, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Weighoff. Fruit and Vegetable World Records World's largest carrot: 18 pounds 13 ounces (9 kilograms) World's largest apple: 3 pounds 11 ounces (2 kilograms) World's largest squash: 962 pounds (436 kilograms) World's heaviest cabbage: 124 pounds (56 kilograms) From Guinness World Records
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