10 pumpkin facts: fun trivia and nutritional information

October 26, 2:24 PMSan Jose Dessert ExaminerJoy Valerie Cronn

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  Pumpkins ready to be Jack-O-Lanterns or be eaten/Wikimedia

Since childhood we are all used to carving Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween.  Through the fall season and Thanksgiving these autumn beauties - from white ghosts to bright red turbans -  greet us from a neighbor's front steps, from a store display, or even scattered throughout our own homes.

Here are 10 fun trivia and also nutritional information we should all know about pumpkins.  With their bright orange and red skins and flesh so full of beta carotene which convert to Vitamin A, they are great for healthy desserts.

1. Pumpkin Nutrition Facts* (1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)   Calories 49; Protein 2 grams; Carbohydrate 12 grams; Dietary Fiber 3 grams; Calcium 37 mg; Iron 1.4 mg; Magnesium 22 mg; Potassium 564 mg; Zinc 1 mg; Selenium .50 mg; Vitamin C 12 mg; Niacin 1 mg; Folate 21 mcg; Vitamin A 2650 IU; Vitamin E 3 mg.   *University of Illinois
2. The largest pumpkin pie ever made was more than five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
3. The top pumpkin production states are California, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, producing 1.1 billion pounds in 2008.
4. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack high in fiber.
5. Pumpkins are fruits, and members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.
6. In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
7. Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000 pounds.
8. The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon."
9. Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
10. Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

  Baked pumpkin custard is gluten-free

 

  This baked pumpkin custard recipe skips the crust from a traditional pumpkin pie, becoming gluten-free, saving 70 percent of calories, and an amazing 97 percent of fat.  With these kinds of numbers, and this amount of nutritional benefit, there is no reason not to indulge in delicious, good-for-you desserts this fall and holiday season!


  Walnuts pack nutrition fit for athletes

 

 

Read the other Ingredient of the Week articles to find out more fun facts and the nutritional value of ingredients like chocolate, or fruits and nuts, which are commonly used in desserts.


 Easy Philly double chocolate cheesecake

 

 

For more custard and pudding recipes, or other dessert recipes, like the easy Philladelphia double chocolate cheesecake pictured here, just click on the links.

 
Joy Valerie Cronn has been an award-winning journalist and editor for two decades.  Joy started her career at the Saratoga News and the Los Gatos Times-Observer. She now follows her culinary passions while freelancing. Reach her at joyofdesserts@gmail.com or with Twitter @JoyOfDesserts, and visit her blog Joy of Desserts.