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Connecticut field pumpkin

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Cucurbita pepo
'Connecticut Field'
Connecticut Field pumpkin
SpeciesCucurbita pepo[1]
CultivarConnecticut Field
OriginConnecticut

The Connecticut Field pumpkin is a type of pumpkin. It is an heirloom variety, the "standard"[2][3] and "classic"[4][5] pumpkin, "one of the oldest pumpkins in existence".[6] Widely used for autumn decorations, either whole or as jack-o'-lanterns,[7] it is also suitable for culinary purposes.[8] Said to differ little from squash grown by Native Americans in pre-Columbian times,[6][9] the name "Connecticut Field pumpkin" references the area where the ancestral variety was found,[10] as well as the traditional system of planting pumpkins in corn fields.[6]

Like most pumpkins, 'Connecticut Field' is large (15–25 pounds (6.8–11.3 kg)),[11][12] round, and orange, with smooth, slightly ribbed skin.[2][8]

The 'New England Pie' or 'Small Sugar' pumpkin, "the standard pie type",[3] is said to be a strain of this cultivar,[13][14] smaller in size but with superior cooking properties.[7] 'Howden' or 'Howden's Field', a cultivar selected from 'Connecticut Field' for improved production and uniformity of fruits,[15][16] is "the original commercial jack-o’-lantern pumpkin".[10]

References

  1. ^ "Squash and Pumpkin" (PDF). USDA ARS GRIN.
  2. ^ a b "Publication #HS649: Pumpkin". University of Florida IFAS Extension.
  3. ^ a b "Pumpkins and More - Varieties". University of Illinois Agricultural Extension.
  4. ^ "Autumn's Humble Treasures". Patrick Henry Community College.
  5. ^ "American Cookery and a History of its Ingredients". American Heritage Vegetables. University of South Carolina.
  6. ^ a b c "Abenaki Heritage Garden" (PDF). USDA NRCS.
  7. ^ a b "Gardening: Trick is to Plant Now for Halloween Treat". The L.A. Times.
  8. ^ a b "Pumpkins in Florida". University of Florida.
  9. ^ Goldman, Amy. The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squash, and Gourds. p. 111.
  10. ^ a b "Pick a Pumpkin from Massachusetts". Mass.gov. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
  11. ^ "'Connecticut Field' Pumpkins". Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners. Cornell University.
  12. ^ "Pumpkin Agronomy Guide". Alternative Agriculture Resource Guide. University of Missouri.
  13. ^ Coulter, Lynn. Gardening with Heirloom Seeds. UNC Press Books. p. 288.
  14. ^ "Small patch can yield pumpkins for pie, decoration". The Columbus Dispatch.
  15. ^ Damerow, Gail. The Perfect Pumpkin: Growing/Cooking/Carving. p. 15.
  16. ^ Goldman, Amy. The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squash, and Gourds. p. 108.