Heirloom, Funky, and Gorgeous Pumpkins to Collect, Admire and Use for Cooking
Learn about heirloom pumpkin varieties. Pumpkins and squash come in so many variations of color, texture, shape and size! Pick up a wacky one like “Warty Goblin” and you can’t help but grin!
We made a video showing you the names of some of the most amazing pumpkins that you might find at the patch. It’s a shame that many farms these days are not labeling them or educating the public on their unique characteristics!
Some of the most delectable and flavor-packed pumpkins look strange. “Peanut” has bumps on its skin that resemble peanut shells, “One Too Many” is a reference to the eyes of someone who has gone past the point of tipsy.
White Pumpkins with Colorful Centers
The large white pumpkin, “Flat White Boer Ford” may make something think it’s a reject, but in fact, it is almost seedless and offers some of the sweetest and flavorful pumpkin meat around.
Fairytale Pumpkins
Mother nature has outdone herself. You can imagine you’re in a fairytale with pumpkins like Cinderella, Blue Moon, and Porcelain Doll.
Specialty Pumpkins are Perfect for Baking and Cooking
Specialty pumpkins are not just for show! The rich flavor and color of the insides of these crazy looking pumpkins will easily surpass a regular field pumpkin, in texture too!
Specialty Pumpkins for Decor
From the country to the city, beautiful and interesting pumpkins look fantastic put together in attractive color combinations accompanied by mums and other natural decor partners. Stack gorgeous specialty pumpkins on top of each other on the porch and on the tabletop.
Displays at farms and pumpkin matches look impressive and festive and get us in the mood for cider donuts and hot cocoa. But there’s more to the story…
Heirloom Specialty Pumpkins
Heirloom pumpkin varieties celebrate history and provide an opportunity to learn about cultures, locations and ways of life around the world. Lucky for us, many heirloom pumpkins have become more mainstream.
Farms order collections of seed and grow many different varieties. Some of the growers may not know the origins of the pumpkins in their fields.
But what are they called and where do they come from?
Over the years we’ve noticed labeling pumpkins has become less of a priority and now these jaw dropping creations are all kind of grouped together as “specialty” types. However, the stories behind the pumpkins should live on just as the growing has continued. We plan to update this post very soon with more detail behind the pumpkins.
Hybrid Specialty Pumpkins
Hybrid pumpkins should not be overlooked! The pink Porcelain Doll with deep ribs was developed by a family that owns a seed company. The matriarch of the family developed breast cancer and the pumpkin inspired a non-profit to fight the disease.
The video below identifies over 45 specialty pumpkins that just might rock your world too!
I want to collect them all!
Short-List of the Best Pumpkins for Eating
Here’s a short list of some of the best specialty pumpkins for cooking, baking and fine eating. See them in the video!
- Blue Doll
- Cinderella
- Fairy Tale
- Flat White Boer Ford
- Galeux d’Eysines / Peanut
- Jarrahdale
- Kabocha Cheese / Long Island Cheese
- Marina Di Chioggia
- Musquée De Provence
- One Too Many
- Porcelain Doll
- Red Kuri Hubbard
