Green pumpkin: variety and characteristics of varieties

Description of green pumpkin

Unripe pumpkin of other varieties over time acquires a different shade (characteristic of the variety). The green type of crop does not change color, since it is its natural color.

General characteristics of green pumpkins:

the pulp is juicy, sugary and slightly fibrous;
the taste is usually sweet, the aroma is pronounced;
the color of the pulp is most often rich orange or yellow;
purpose - preparing dishes, desserts, juices, baby food;
plant type - creeping;
the root system is powerful, with a main stem up to 3 m and lateral shoots that extend laterally over an area with a diameter of up to 5 m;
large pentagonal green leaves;
shoots with thorns and hairs;
the average length of the vine is from 5 to 8 m;
fruit weight from 10 to 15 kg;
the surface of the pumpkins is rough, pimply or smooth, quite dense;
shape: round, pear-shaped, oval.

In the last days of the growing season, green varieties become lighter. Stripes and all kinds of inclusions form on their surface.

Green pumpkins are divided into annual and perennial. According to the type of growth of the aerial parts they are classified as follows:

Long-climbing species. The shoot necessarily spreads along the ground and has the maximum length of the main shoot. There are many lateral processes. When growing, to save space, gardeners let the lashes fly along fences, supports and other devices on which the tendrils can get caught.
Bush type. The lashes are shortened (up to 2 m), side shoots are either absent or there are too few of them, and the internodes are located next to each other. Grows separately in open beds.

Green pumpkin - the most popular varieties with descriptions

There are many types of pumpkins in the world, differing in color, color, shape, size, taste, ripening period and purpose.

There are dietary and gourmet varieties, fodder and even decorative varieties that decorate the garden or vegetable garden with herbs and fruits.

In the multiple list, there was also a place for the green variety, which, as it turned out, is very beneficial for the body, tasty and in no way inferior in attractiveness to its relatives.

General characteristics of pumpkin

Pumpkin belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is a herbaceous creeping plant with a powerful root system. The leaves are pentagonal, large, juicy green in color, with fine hairs and thorns all over the surface and on the shoots. The length of the vines reaches 5–8 meters and spreads beautifully along the ground, with the help of tendrils it clings to fences, trellises, tree branches, entwining everything around.

The fruits, depending on the variety, are small - the size of a pear, and large - up to 10-15 kg. The surface is dense, green, smooth, rough or with pimples.

The pulp is yellow or orange, fleshy and very healthy, with a high content of vitamins and microelements.

In addition, it is recommended to eat seeds; they contain a lot of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and other minerals.

Popular vegetable varieties

In gardening stores you can find different varieties of orange, yellow and white pumpkins, and there is also a large selection of green ones. It is difficult for a beginner to understand the proposed options, which ones are better, tastier, when they ripen and what they are intended for, so we offer a rating of the most popular green varieties.

All plants are grown in open ground and do not require special care. The quality of seed germination is high.

Pumpkins are divided into groups: hard-bark, large-fruited, decorative, early-, mid- and late-ripening, delicacy, vitamin, dietary and others. When choosing a variety, you need to take these factors into account and rely on the purpose of the vegetable.

To decorate the garden, you should look for small-fruited, decorative species, for food use - large ones, with fleshy pulp and a sweet taste, and forage varieties are suitable for animals.

The list offers the best varieties of all directions.

Muscat

The group of nutmeg pumpkins includes various varieties, but the Muscat Vitaminnaya hybrid turned out to be the sweetest and most beneficial.

The composition contains a large amount of sugar and carotene, which makes it a leader in this area. The vegetable ripens late and reaches 7-8 kg; cultivation will require 140 sunny and warm days.

The shape is round, flattened, with pronounced ribs, the color of the peel is dark green, monochromatic.

Vitamin nutmeg is stored for a long time, retaining all useful substances and is highly valued in cooking. A variety of dishes are prepared from it, pie fillings, casseroles, porridges, consumed boiled, baked and raw with apples, raisins, honey and other products.

Another popular variety of butternut squash is Mirani di Chioggia. The vegetable has a terrifying appearance with a pimply and not very attractive surface, but the flesh is sweet, tasty, and saturated with sunshine.

Winter sweet

The crop is intended for cultivation in the southern regions, where dry summers prevail. The vegetable contains the maximum amount of sugars, ideal for diabetics and lovers of sweet dishes. The red-orange pulp is used to make jams, juices, cereals, puddings, casseroles, desserts and much more.

“Winter” pumpkin ripens 130 days after planting and is small in size - up to 4-5 kg. The skin is gray-green, dense, smooth to the touch. The variety is resistant to fungi and diseases, which allows fruits to be stored for up to 2 years in dry and cool places.

Large-fruited and hard-barked species

Large-fruited and hard-barked ones are usually used as animal feed and are rarely eaten. The peculiarity of these varieties is their flat leaves and unusual shapes, often found:

Turban-shaped.
Round.
Elongated.
Oval.

Muscadines are usually pear-shaped with a low content of seeds and voids.

Princess Frog

An unattractive pumpkin weighing 10 kg is a must-have vegetable on the autumn table. The multivitamin composition, tasty red-orange pulp and a lot of positive qualities make the Frog Princess indispensable in the dietary and medicinal menu.

The medium-late, large-fruited variety has a thick, lumpy, dark green skin, ripens on the 130th day and is well transported. It is not difficult to grow, but loves sunny areas. The vegetable looks like the skin of a frog, which “scares off” gardeners, but in vain. Its pulp is used in preparing dishes, preserves, juices and purees.

Wax

Pumpkins, a pronounced green color with an elongated shape, appeared on domestic beds not so long ago, but aroused unprecedented interest and demand. The variety is characterized by a rather hard fruit shell, smooth to the touch with an unusual waxy coating. The bushes are powerful, climbing with thick stems. Vegetables grow up to 10-15 kg in 130 days and reach a length of 50 cm.

The pulp is dense, pale, almost milky in color, the taste is sweetish. It is rarely used for cooking, but it is possible to cook a green vegetable that is fully ripened. If we compare nutmeg and wax pumpkin in terms of sugar content, the first is clearly the leader, but the second can be stored for up to 2-3 years without much effort and specific conditions.

Figolifolia

The variety's homeland is Peru and its tropical jungles. Under natural conditions, figleaf pumpkin grows for several years and is considered a perennial crop. The shape of the fruit is similar to an oval watermelon, the color is dark green with cream spots.

The taste and aroma are sweet, pumpkin. The pulp is coarse, light, with a yellowish tint; in cooking it is used as side dishes, in sweet and confectionery dishes, baked in pieces, and also used as a raw material for alcoholic beverages.

The seeds are hard, black, and resemble watermelon.

The plant is powerful and grows strongly, entwining everything nearby, the length of the lashes reaches 10 meters. The fruits are widely used in food production, and the leaves and seeds are used in folk medicine; ointments, tinctures are made from them, and applied to sore spots.

Not only green varieties of pumpkins are tasty and healthy, but also orange, white, and gray ones. The best orange ones include: Melon, Rossiyanka, Kapitoshka and others. The vitamin composition and high content of carotene and natural sugars puts the vegetable in first place in the list of dietary products for diabetics, those losing weight, and people with problems with the liver, gall bladder, and poor eyesight.

What are the decorative varieties?

A garden decoration can be not only an exquisite flower, tree or shrub, but also a pumpkin. Such crops have long vines that can quickly entwine fences, hedges and grow on trellises.

After flowering, small fruits of unusual shapes and colors are formed in place of the buds. They can be one-color, two-color, with strokes, stripes, spots.

The shapes are also different: round, elongated, twisted, elongated pumpkins look impressive and serve as an excellent material for children's creativity and the imagination of a florist or designer.

The greenish fruits are removed from the vines when fully ripe and dried, after which they are used as directed. In ancient Rome, dishes like these were used to make dishes for kings and decorate halls. Small pumpkins will fit into the design of the autumn photo zone and become its main highlight, conveying a rustic spirit and style.

The most common is the hybrid Goose in Apples (other names are bottle gourd, dish gourd, gourd gourd, Indian cucumber, lagenaria).

The fruits, shaped like pears with an elongated neck, are very original and unusual; from a distance they look like green geese. The leaves of the plant are velvety, medium in size, the vines are long and fast growing.

The male buds bloom first, followed by the female ones.

Up to 15 greenish “geese” are formed on one vine, which is why the variety has a high yield. The size and weight of vegetables ranges from 3 to 10 kg. Decorative specimens are not eaten.

Lagenaria as a hedge

Hard-barked varieties

The Latin name for hard-barked varieties is Cucurbita pepo. The variety is characterized by rapid ripening and excellent taste of the seeds, which may not have a peel. Disadvantages include weak sweetness and short shelf life.

Freckle

Bush pumpkin belongs to the early ripening variety. The period for achieving technical ripeness is from 90 to 100 days. It is considered compact (does not take up much space on the site).

Description:

rounded-oblate shape;
characteristics of the pulp - light orange, juiciness and tenderness of the structure, with a pear flavor;
characteristics of the fruit - light green color, freckled spots of a pale yellowish tint on the surface;
weight from 0.8 to 2.0 kg;
the preferred growing region is St. Petersburg, Moscow region and other regions with frequent rains and temperature changes;
application - for all purposes, but if you make juice, you will have to add sugar;
feature - increased resistance to cold.

Freckle is distinguished by high rates of transportability.

Miranda

The variety is part of the gymnospermous group, a mid-season variety (ripening period 110–115 days). The scourges are long - up to 7 m, spreading along the ground.

Description:

round shape;
characteristics of the pulp - orange tint, increased juiciness;
characteristics of the fruit - rich green color with white specks (reminiscent of marble);
weight - 3–4 kg;
preferred growing region - any climatic conditions;
application - since the variety is sweeter than other hard-barked varieties, it is used for baby food and making desserts;
feature - increased resistance to low temperatures (down to - 2°C), not used for seedling cultivation (exception only in the Northern regions).

Gribovskaya-189

The variety is early ripening. The harvest is harvested after 80–95 days. The species is bushy (the vines do not spread).

Description:

elongated shape like a zucchini;
characteristics of the pulp - a bright yellow hue with a classic pumpkin taste and aroma, the structure is dense;
characteristics of the fruit - the rind is dark green, but if stored in a room it turns yellow;
weight from 2.5 to 5.5 kg;
preferred growing region - Siberia, Ural;
application - standard;
peculiarity - it can withstand frost, is planted by seedlings, and resists pests and diseases.

Acorn

Refers to acorn squash. It is characterized as fruity due to its increased sweetness. Equated to potatoes, as it contains a large amount of starch. Considered winter. Ripens in 80–90 days.

Description:

acorn-shaped shape;
characteristics of the pulp - orange color, zucchini and nutty taste;
features of the fruit - the surface is ribbed, the shade varies from light to dark green;
weight 700–900 g;
Regions with cold climates are preferred for cultivation;
application - for desserts;
peculiarity - it is grown only by seedlings.

Greek green pumpkin

Basil and garlic give this dish a pleasant taste and aroma. The dish can be served as a side dish with meat or fish.

pumpkin – 400 g;
olive oil – 60 g;
water – 60 ml;
garlic – 2 cloves;
tomato paste – 15 g;
dried basil – 10 g;
salt and pepper mixture - to taste.

Cut the pumpkin pulp into large cubes.
Fry the pieces in olive oil until golden brown.
Add chopped garlic, tomato paste, basil, spices and salt. Stir the ingredients and cook for another 1 minute.
Place the pumpkin in a baking dish and add water. Cover the dish with foil and place it in an oven preheated to 170°C for 20-30 minutes.

Before serving, decorate the dish with fresh herbs.

Muscat varieties

Latin name: Cucurbita moschata. The varieties are considered elite and the most delicious among all varieties (the taste resembles nutmeg). Absolutely all types are universal in use and intended for warm climates. When growing in the Middle Zone, the seedling method is used.

The seeds of all nutmeg varieties are small.

Vitamin

The ripening period is medium-late—pumpkin reaches technical ripeness in at least 130 days. Vitamin pumpkin is distinguished by its elongated vine, and its pulp has a high content of vitamins, especially carotene.

Description:

round or elongated shape;
characteristics of the pulp - it tastes like melon, its color is almost red (fiery orange);
characteristics of the fruit - the surface is slightly ribbed, green with yellowish splashes (if collected unripe and left in a warm room, the peel will acquire a brown or yellowish tint), the rind is thin;
weight - 4–7 kg;
preferably grown in warm and medium-warm climates;
diverse applications;
peculiarity - it is advisable to plant it using seedlings (except in the South), and after transplantation it is necessary to cover it with plastic film for 1-2 weeks.

Marina di Chioggia

The variety came from Italian breeders. It is considered late-ripening (the period of technical maturity occurs in 135–150 days). Refers to a long-climbing plant. Due to its unusual shape, it is perceived as a decorative pumpkin.

Description:

turban-shaped shape;
Characteristics of the pulp: yellowish-orange, sweet and thick, but starchy;
characteristics of the fruit - the crust is wrinkled and lumpy with a green tint and a bluish coating;
weight - 10–14 kg;
has no regional preferences;
Application – excellent for fresh consumption;
feature - requires increased soil fertility and looseness.

Augustine

The pumpkin is a long-climbing, early-ripening variety. Ripens in 100–105 days.

Description:

the shape is cylindrical, but there is a slight constriction and expansion at the flower scar;
the characteristics of the pulp are yellowish and crispy, the juiciness and density are average, there are some fibers;
characteristics of the fruit - the surface is smooth, but with a waxy coating and light inclusions, dark green;
weight from 4 to 6 kg;
grown in all climatic zones;
application - for salads, cereals, purees;
peculiarity - the variety is predisposed to fungal diseases, requires a lot of space, and easily tolerates sudden temperature changes.

Family

The variety is late-ripening - ripens in at least 135 days. The lashes are long and tough. The seed chamber is very small.

Description:

cylindrical-elongated shape;
characteristics of the pulp - crunch appears, medium juiciness, high density, pumpkin taste, orange color;
characteristics of the fruit - dark green with a waxy coating;
weight from 8 to 16 kg, but there are giant specimens weighing 30–35 kg;
prefers only Southern latitudes, but the seedling method is also possible in more middle regions; it is prohibited in the North;
universal application;
feature - resistance to drought.

Unripe pumpkin recipes

If you do not have the conditions for ripening pumpkin at home, the pumpkin begins to deteriorate during ripening, or you just want to treat yourself and your loved ones to something new and unusual, check out our selection of original recipes from green melons. They are completely safe for health, will not cause intestinal upset if not abused, moreover, they are tasty and healthy. And because unripe pumpkin tastes less sweet, it's ideal for savory appetizers and hearty meat or fish dishes. Here are three of them for all occasions, for breakfast, snack, light dinner or a hearty holiday lunch.

Fresh from unripe pumpkin

Make it a habit to drink this drink every morning on an empty stomach, and very soon you will be pleased with perfectly clear skin of a pleasant color, normal blood pressure, no constipation and unprecedented lightness in the body.

What you will need:

Green pumpkin pulp, peeled and seeds removed – 300 g;
Carrot – 1 medium;
Fresh celery - half a stalk;
Green apple - half;
A few drops of vegetable oil, liquid honey and lemon juice;
A sprig of herbs and some pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Place vegetables and fruits in a juicer and make juice with pulp. Pour in oil, honey and lemon juice, sprinkle dried seeds on top and garnish with fresh herbs.

This drink helps fight excess weight, as it stimulates intestinal motility and removes excess fluid from the body. At the same time, pumpkin saturates the body with potassium, magnesium, sodium, pectin and carotene. This is an ideal dietary product, 100 g. which contains only 20 calories. But at the same time, a glass of fresh pumpkin juice can replace breakfast or an afternoon snack in terms of nutritional value.

Green pumpkin fritters with smoked salmon

The pancakes are prepared according to the zucchini principle; salted fish and piquant garlic-sour cream sauce add a special piquancy to the sweetish base.

What you will need:

Unripe pumpkin - 400 gr.;
Red onion – 1 pc.;
Garlic – 4 cloves;
Egg – 1 pc.;
Flour – 1-2 spoons;
Salt pepper;
parsley, dill or cilantro;
several slices of smoked or lightly salted salmon;
200 gr. thick sour cream or natural yogurt;
Vegetable oil for frying.

Peel the pumpkin, cut into large pieces, grate and squeeze, otherwise the pancake dough will float. Peel the onion and garlic, finely chop the onion, pass the garlic through a press. Add half the onion and garlic to the pumpkin, the other half to the cooled sour cream. Add egg and flour to the vegetables, knead the dough with a spoon, season with salt and pepper, add half of the chopped herbs. Add the other half to the sour cream sauce.

Heat the vegetable oil, spoon the dough into the frying pan and fry the pancakes over medium heat until golden brown. Place a teaspoon of sauce and a slice of fish on each prepared mini-pancake. Decorate with greens.

Tip: the pancakes can also be made sweet, in this case apples are added to the pumpkin, sour cream is mixed with cinnamon, and the dessert can be decorated with mint.

Sweet green pumpkin

Sweet pumpkins got their name due to their high sugar content - about 15%. Despite these indicators, the product is considered dietary (calorie content does not increase significantly).

Another feature is the versatility of use. Sweet varieties are usually eaten even raw.

Baby

The variety is early ripening. The harvest is harvested on the 80th day. Type - bush, lashes - shortened.

Description:

oblate shape;
Characteristics of the pulp - medium juiciness and density, a crunch appears, orange in color;
characteristics of the fruit - there are gray and brownish shades on a dark green background;
weight from 2 to 3 kg;
preferred growing region - Moscow region;
universal application;
There are no special features when growing.

Sweet tooth

A high-yielding variety of pumpkin that ripens 85–95 days after sowing. Feature - the green tint of the peel almost does not change over time. Climbing is average.

Description:

round shape;
characteristics of the pulp - orange in color, very sweet, but low in juiciness, characterized by a high starch content;
fruit features - smooth and ribbed green surface;
weight - 5–7 kg;
preferred growing region - climate with high humidity, middle zone;
application - used for any purpose;
peculiarity - it prefers a humid habitat, but does not die in drought (short-term).

Barn

It is considered the most delicious and unpretentious among mid-season varieties. Ripens on the 120th day after planting. The length of the main stem is about 7 m, the seed chamber is large.

Description:

the shape is round and slightly flattened;
characteristics of the pulp - orange in color, juicy and dense;
characteristics of the fruit - rich green color with dark inclusions or light stripes, smooth surface;
weight - 4.5–5.5 kg;
regionality does not matter when growing, but in cool climates it is planted in greenhouses;
application - best suited for juices, desserts, jellies, jams, etc.;
Feature - does not require increased soil fertility, is prone to diseases.

Azure

A variety with a growing season of 100–120 days. The lashes are powerful and long.

Description:

the shape is round and flattened;
characteristics of the pulp - bright orange color, dense, crispy structure;
characteristics of the fruit - the main color is dark green, but there is a gray tint on the surface, the peel is ribbed;
weight about 5 kg;
any growing region, as it easily adapts to cool conditions;
application - for milk porridges and puree soups;
peculiarity - prefers sandy loam soil with increased fertility indicators.

Winter sweet

Belongs to a mid-season variety. Ripens at least 110 days. Considered to be climbing

Description:

spherical-oblate shape;
Characteristics of the pulp: orange in color, dense structure;
features of the fruit - the peel is segmented with tubercles, the color is closer to dark olive (green with gray), there are light gray spots;
weight from 5 to 12 kg;
preferred growing region - Siberia, Ural;
Application - home cooking, canning, eating raw;
Feature - it is not afraid of drought and cold, does not accumulate nitrates, and resists powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Green pumpkin: varieties, photos and reviews

Pumpkin began to be grown in America before our era. In Ancient Egypt, this plant was a delicacy. The ancient Romans learned how to make durable vessels from pumpkins. In China, such dishes were placed only on the table of the imperial family.

Nowadays, it is a healthy and beloved product by many, which has become firmly established in the diet of a modern person who cares about their health.

Pumpkin: description

It is an annual plant with a powerful, well-developed root system and creeping herbaceous stem. It is spiny, pentagonal, and forms tendrils in the axils of the leaves, with the help of which the plant clings to supports and stretches upward. The stem can be up to eight meters long.

The five-lobed large leaves also cover small hairs. Pumpkin blooms with orange or yellow large single flowers, which attract the attention of pollinating insects from afar. They are male, unisexual, and have a long peduncle. Flowering begins at the end of June and continues until the beginning of July.

In autumn, thick-skinned fruits ripen. Their shape, size and color depend on the variety grown. Inside, under the thick skin, there is an oily, juicy pulp with many white large seeds.

Flasks, jugs, bottles, and cups are made from tableware gourd (lagenaria). It is believed that such dishes have good energy.

Variety of species

There are many varieties of pumpkin in the world. They differ in size and shape, color and taste, as well as area of application. They can be very small, the size of a pear, or gigantic. They can be spherical and flattened, serpentine and flask-shaped, star-shaped. Some of them are smooth, others are lumpy and rough.

And the fruits also differ in color - orange, yellow. These colors are familiar to most of our readers. Is there a green pumpkin? And not only. Some varieties are colored red, white, brown, gray. There are striped and spotted representatives in this large family.

Popular cultivated species

To date, three of them have gained particular popularity.

Hardbark

It is distinguished by a ribbed stalk, on which grooves are clearly visible. It came to us from Mexico, and three of its types are known: long-climbing (produces small but numerous fruits), bush (zucchini and squash), and decorative.

Muscat

It has a pentagonal stalk, which widens towards the base. The surface is ribbed or smooth, the shape is elongated, at first the fruits are colored green, but as they ripen they become yellow or brown. The seed chamber is small and the pulp layer is thick.

Large-fruited

This species has a rounded cylindrical stalk. The fruits are flat with a bumpy surface and very sweet in taste. In this culture, three varieties are distinguished: gray-fruited, winter and mammoth.

Green pumpkin: varieties

There are a great many varieties of this popular all over the world and very useful plant.

Some of them are grown for animal feed, others are famous for their sweetness and juiciness, for which chefs love them, and others are rich in valuable seeds.

In recent years, decorative varieties of pumpkins have also become popular. In all these varieties, green pumpkin is found (you can see the photo in this article).

Large-fruited crops: “winter treat”

Mid-season, short-climbing variety. The pumpkin is green (dark) with black specks. The fruit has a round shape. Weight – about 5 kg. The pulp is dense, colored bright orange.

"Miranda"

The plant is semi-bushy and belongs to the mid-season varieties. The fruits are green, have gray specks, and are round. Weight – about 4 kg. The pulp has a pleasant taste and is dense. The seeds do not have a hard shell. The variety is unpretentious in care and produces a good harvest even in difficult climatic conditions.

"Princess Frog"

This is a wonderful mid-late variety with dark green fruits. They are turban-shaped and wrinkled. Weight can reach 10 kg. The pulp is dense, light orange, very juicy. This variety is a valuable dietary crop.

Hard-barked varieties

This group of plants gets its name due to its very dense and rough layer of bark, which gains strength as it matures.

This is the earliest ripening species grown in Russian gardens, but pumpkin lovers should be aware that their flesh can be quite coarse, so you need to carefully select varieties for cultivation.

Today, many interesting varieties and hybrids of pumpkin are offered, among which you can choose plants of unusual appearance and taste.

"Harlequin"

Green pumpkin of this variety tastes like butternut pumpkin. Its shape is slightly flattened. The pumpkin is not very large. The green skin of the fruit is covered with small spots. The pulp is dense, light orange in color. The taste is very delicate and pleasant.

"Freckle"

Another hard-barked variety that fully corresponds to its name: small round fruits (no more than 2 kg) are colored green and covered with white-yellow spots.

This variety is ideal for small areas due to its compactness. The plant has short vines, is bushy, and requires moisture.

The pulp is light orange, not too sweet, but has a subtle pear aroma. The seeds are small.

"Acorn"

This pumpkin is often called an acorn pumpkin, due to the similarity of its small fruits to acorns. The pulp is sweet, rich yellow. The peel can have a wide variety of colors - from orange to dark green, as well as combinations of these colors.

"Marble"

A late-ripening variety, characterized by wrinkled, flattened fruits that do not exceed five kilograms. This pumpkin has a very high yield and excellent shelf life. The pulp is sweet, bright orange, juicy. The peel is gray-green with lighter dots and stripes, which form the marbled color. Can be used both in cooking and as a fodder crop.

"Vitamin"

One of the latest varieties - at least one hundred and thirty days pass from the first shoots to ripening.

This muscat variety is famous for its wide, oval or cylindrical fruits, with pronounced ribbing closer to the stalk.

A ripe pumpkin is brown with a pinkish tint, with a network of greenish round spots. The pulp is dark orange, almost red, crispy, sweet, rich in carotene. The weight of the fetus is about 5 kg.

"Marina di Chioggia"

The fruits of this famous Italian variety of nutmeg pumpkin, which has taken root well here too, are impressive. Questions immediately arise: “The pumpkin is green inside, can you eat it?” Yes, you can, and even need it, because it is very useful.

This variety can produce fruits up to 10 kg, although more often its weight does not exceed 6 kg. The pulp is dense, slightly dry, orange in color. This variety can be stored for up to six months without losing its taste.

Decorative fruits

Now let's talk about a very interesting variety of pumpkins. A vegetable garden today should not only be useful in all respects, but also beautiful. That is why decorative types of pumpkins become more and more popular every season. They have many advantages. Many novice gardeners are interested in: “What is a decorative green pumpkin, is it possible to eat it?”

These species were bred by breeders for beauty, so their taste was not taken into account in most cases. As practice shows, if decorative green pumpkin is suitable for eating, it is only at a young age. When ripe, it has a very hard crust, has no taste and is of no interest to people or even animals.

When purchasing seeds in a store, the manufacturer often indicates on the packaging whether this variety is edible or not. If there are no such recommendations from the company, then nothing will stop you from experimenting. A decorative green pumpkin will not be poisonous, but it will most likely be tasteless, hard, or have a somewhat specific taste.

And yet, decorative pumpkins can have excellent taste. An example of this is the green Shayot pumpkin. In addition to its original appearance, it has a wonderful taste, reminiscent of an apple, and portion sizes. This is a winter variety.

This small green pumpkin has fairly large seeds. Recipes for preparing dishes from it are no different from those for summer varieties.

But the main feature of this variety is that this small green pumpkin will also become an original decoration for your garden.

"Lagenaria" and "cucurbita"

And these varieties are grown only for decorative purposes. The fruits of these varieties are distinguished by their unusual shapes and strong skin, which makes it possible to make various decorations for the garden from them. They are the ones used on Halloween. The harvest should be removed from the garden before the first frost, otherwise the peel will be damaged and the pumpkin will simply rot.

After picking, the fruits are wiped with a dry cloth and dried naturally in a cool, dark place. It is important that they do not touch. During the drying process, they should be wiped dry regularly and ensure that mold does not appear. Completely dried fruits are light, and seeds are poured into them, as if in a rattle.

Useful properties of pumpkin

The pulp of the fruit is not only tasty, but also very healthy; pumpkin is a storehouse of vitamins and valuable minerals. It contains pectins, proteins, fiber, carotene, acids, sugars. The seeds contain a large amount of essential oils and zinc.

Pumpkin is a low-calorie product, which is why it is included in many diets. Pumpkin seeds are dried and used in folk medicine as an anthelmintic and for the treatment of prostatitis.

In addition, when fried, it is simply a tasty delicacy, which is often used in cooking.

Medicinal properties

Pumpkin dishes should be included in every person's diet. This is especially important for people suffering from gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Pumpkin can relieve depression and insomnia. This product must be included in the diet of children from a very early age (porridge, juice).

In addition, pumpkin dishes are recommended for everyone who suffers from exhaustion, tuberculosis, hypertension, liver and kidney diseases.

You should not give up regular consumption of pumpkin if you have heart disease, increased production of gastric juice, or inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.

Green pumpkin: what to cook?

Both adults and children love this healthy and tasty product. There are a great many dishes made from it and with it added as one of the ingredients. And don’t let it bother you that our heroine today is a green pumpkin. The cooking recipes are no different from its relatives with any other peel color.

Roasted pumpkin

To prepare this dish you will need:

pumpkin – 1 kg;
vegetable oil – 1/2 cup;
sour cream – 400 g;
breadcrumbs – 60 g;
salt.

Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin. Cut it into thin slices (about 3 mm). Salt them a little, roll in breadcrumbs and fry on both sides in a frying pan in oil. Before serving, pour sour cream over the pumpkin pieces.

Green pumpkin jam

And now we offer you a very unusual recipe. Throw the pumpkin on the floor to break it. Without touching it with a knife or other metal objects that give a metallic taste, remove the seeds and yellow veins with your hands. Pumpkin pieces are boiled in salted water until the skin separates from the pulp.

Now you need to fill the boiled pumpkin with cold water and remove the peel with your hands. The pulp should be rubbed in water as if you were washing it until foam appears. The water needs to be changed periodically. The pumpkin is then immersed in brine. It is prepared at the rate of 50 g of coarse salt per liter of water, and left in it for a day.

After this time, the brine is drained, the pulp is washed and filled with clean water for another day. After this, you need to let the water drain and weigh the pulp. Mix it with an equal amount of sugar.

Two cinnamon sticks are added to this mixture and the container is placed on low heat. It must be stirred constantly to prevent it from burning. The jam is ready when it turns brownish in color.

Pumpkin in a pot

Remove the skin from the pumpkin, cut into small cubes, and place in pots. Add prunes, raisins, dried apricots. A magnificent dessert is prepared under closed lids in the oven for about forty minutes. Children love this dish very much.

Pumpkin with honey in a slow cooker

Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, cut the fruit into slices, like a melon, but do not cut off the peel. Place them in the multicooker bowl, skin side down. Add water (half a cup) to prevent the pumpkin from burning during cooking.

Place honey on top (two tablespoons) and sprinkle the dish with cinnamon. Cooking time 30 minutes on the “baking” mode. After cooking, remove the dish from the multicooker and remove the skin.

Place the pumpkin in bowls and garnish with a mint leaf.

Decorative types

The bulk of decorative pumpkins are considered inedible, as they have no taste, smell, or sweetness. If you taste this fruit, you might think you are chewing grass. The variety is used to decorate the garden plot and extract oil. But there are varieties that are acceptable to consume.

Lagenaria

This is a very unusual type of pumpkin, which is rarely found in our latitudes. There are a number of names:

gourd;
bottle gourd;
serpentine;
Indian cucumber;
Vietnamese zucchini;
calabash.

Description:

the shape is spherical, flattened, serpentine, bottle-shaped, cylindrical, pear-shaped, which depends on the variety;
characteristics of the pulp - juicy, sometimes fibrous, but upon reaching biological maturity it shrinks;
characteristics of the fruit - in adulthood, the peel becomes woody, the color varies;
weight from 2 to 32 kg, but there are specimens that reach 150 kg;
Application - in cooking, cosmetology, art (making vessels, musical instruments, etc.), as decoration.

Marble

Another edible pumpkin with a decorative appearance. The peculiarity lies in the original color. Marbled pumpkin is a late variety, ripening in 140–150 days.

Description:

round shape;
pulp characteristics - juicy, orange, very sweet (up to 12%);
fruit features - there is segmentation and pimples;
the surface of the pumpkins has a rich green color and white streaks that create a marble pattern;
weight about 5 kg;
preferred growing region - Caucasus, Volga region;
Application: decoration, cooking;
peculiarity - the fruits crack from excess moisture or drought.

Cucurbita

Cucurbita, which means pumpkin in Latin, comes in various varieties for decorative purposes - Crown, Little Boo, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. Pumpkins are distinguished by their bizarre shapes.

If you want to grow this type of vegetables (to decorate your garden), you should remember that harvesting must be done strictly before frost. Otherwise, the pumpkin will disappear.

Pumpkin with eggplant

The marinade of soy sauce and spices gives this dish a special taste.

pumpkin pulp – 200 g;
eggplant – 1 pc.;
soy sauce – 90 g;
sunflower oil – 60 g;
rice vinegar – 30 g;
garlic – 2 cloves;
sesame oil – 15 g;
coriander – 15 g;
hot pepper flakes – 7 g.

Cut the eggplant into half rings and the pumpkin into slices.
Mix sunflower and sesame oil, add hot pepper, coriander and ginger. Add rice vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk the ingredients.
Pour the marinade over the vegetables and leave them for 30 minutes.
Place the slices in a baking dish and bake them for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C.

This dish can be served as a side dish or cold appetizer.

Green pumpkin is just as sweet and juicy as orange pumpkin. The varieties “Miranda”, “Vitaminnaya” and “Winter treat” are used in cooking.

Features of cultivating green pumpkin - planting, growing and care

Green pumpkin is planted in 2 ways - seedlings and directly into open ground. This is a heat-loving crop, so it is important to choose a well-lit area. A prerequisite is soil fertility and the following indicators:

acidity level - 6.5–7.5 pH;
structure - loose, light;
nutrients - phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium.

Crop rotation:

good predecessors are potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, beets;
undesirable - all types of pumpkin crops, zucchini, squash, nightshade, cucumbers.

Green pumpkin is not very demanding to grow and care for, but be sure to follow the conditions:

Hydration. Do not allow a dry crust to form. It is optimal when the soil is moist all the time. Water only in the early morning.
Loosening. The root system requires aeration. Do the procedure 2-3 times a week.
Feeding. Apply fertilizers about 4 times during the entire growing season. Use mullein, chicken droppings, wood ash, herbal infusions. Sometimes (if the soil requires) purchased mineral preparations are used.
Mulching. Necessary to maintain moisture and looseness. Place straw, peat, sawdust, and hay under the pumpkin.

Reviews

Natalya Gulyaeva, 49 years old, Krasnodar region

I have been planting green varieties of pumpkins in the garden for about 7 years now. To be honest, I tried many types, but I chose Slastyon. It's really very sugary. I make juices from it, can it, and cook porridge. In a word, universal.

Evgeniy, 45 years old, Moscow region, Dolgoprudny

I plant green fruits for variety. They look original in garden beds next to orange pumpkins. And most importantly, they do not require any specific care. Everything is standard. From what I sowed, I recommend Augustine, Azure, Freckle, Gymnosperm.

Green pumpkin is considered a healthy, nutritious and at the same time dietary product. It is used for preparing a variety of dishes, canning, and as animal feed. Varieties differ in peel hardness, level of sweetness, size and other indicators.

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Green pumpkin varieties

Green pumpkin can be planted both for food and for decoration. If you like to arrange contrasts, then you will definitely like this variety of decorative pumpkin. Currently, there are many varieties of this plant that are used not only for food. Therefore, this favorite can also boast of special beauty, because many gardeners plant these ornamental plants even in flower beds. It is best to plant the pumpkin near some supports so that its stems can grow vertically. Very often, these plants are used to decorate gazebos and hedges, and some craftsmen even decorate balconies. In addition, when decorating a plot with pumpkin, in addition to the beautiful exotic decorative look, you will get an incredible aroma. When flowering, this crop fills the surrounding space with incredible sweetness, and the fruit ovaries can decorate any flowerbed.