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How Do I Pick a Good Pumpkin?
У good pumpkin the rind is firm, but not “woody”. Of course, there should be no cracks and soft spots, dark spots on it – the latter indicate that the pumpkin has begun to rot. When choosing a pumpkin, you should not chase giant ones. Overgrown, overgrown fruits may have dry, watery and bitter flesh.
У ripe pumpkins the tail is dark and dry. If there is no tail, it is better not to buy, perhaps the seller got rid of it on purpose, since the vegetable was picked ahead of time and did not have time to ripen. Moreover, even the best pumpkinleft without a stalk is stored much less.
Pumpkin pulp, “Recovering” from fungal diseases will be very tasteless and bitter. Dents, dark or pinkish spots on the peel may indicate a possible lesion. Also, unscrupulous sellers often cut off the affected areas – and sell the pumpkin piece by piece.
Which pumpkin is best? It all depends on what needs to be prepared from it and how long it is planned to be stored. Most often, there are three types of pumpkins in markets and stores: hard-barked, nutmeg and large-fruited. There are also decorative ones, but they are usually not suitable for food.
There are a dozen different varieties of pumpkins in the markets.
Choosing butternut squash
Many consider butternut squash to be the best and most delicious.
Butternut squash has an elongated shape, the fruit may look like a large squash, an overgrown cucumber or a giant pear, and its skin is thin and easily cut with a knife. Pumpkins of this species often thicken closer to the flower, where their seeds are concentrated. Butternut squash is the sweetest, making it perfect for baked goods and desserts. They are also especially rich in vitamins-carotenoids.
In general, the best pumpkin, in the opinion of many, if not for one “but”: Muscat varieties are stored less than others, and the longer they stay, the less sweetness and vitamins remain in them. Fruits that have lain before winter become savory.
Choosing a large-fruited pumpkin
The main distinguishing feature of a large-fruited pumpkin is a round, flattened shape. This is the kind of pumpkin most of us imagine when it comes to Halloween.
Most often, the peel of large-fruited pumpkins is bright orange, but it can also be yellow, gray, green. It is better to choose a large-fruited pumpkin if the purchase is made for future use: it is stored for a long time and, after lying down, it only becomes tastier. Freshly harvested fruits contain a lot of starch, but over time it turns into sugar. Large-fruited pumpkins can be stored until spring.
Choosing hard pumpkins
The hard-bore pumpkin is egg-like in shape, its rind is often greenish and, as the name suggests, is very hard and difficult to cut.
Another distinguishing feature by which you can choose a hard-fast pumpkin is that its stalk has peculiar edges and looks like an asterisk on the cut. This species is not sweet at all. Such a pumpkin is better suited for cooking meat dishes and side dishes, when excessive sweetness spoils the taste. Its fruits are stored a little. But on the other hand, the hard-bore pumpkin has the most useful and tasty seeds, which, moreover, are very easy to clean. There is a variety called “Golosemy” – its seeds do not need to be peeled at all.
The color of the pumpkin pulp depends on the amount of carotenoid vitamins in it. The more provitamin A and other carotenoids, the brighter the pulp. Moreover, pumpkins with a pale yellow or greenish skin may have the brightest, orange pulp!
When cooking, do not remove the fibers in the very center of the pumpkin – they have all the sweetness of this vegetable!