Gotta' use your gourd.

[953 nut 62,166]

 

National Pumpkin Day falls on October 26. Pumpkins are so much more than just a fun holiday accessory. Not only are they one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene (an antioxidant converted to vitamin A in the body), but pumpkins are loaded with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Try some on National Pumpkin Day (and of course have a little fun carving them).

Pumpkins are indigenous to the Western Hemisphere. As Frenchman Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America in the 1500s, he reported finding what the French called “gros melons.” The name was translated into English as “pompions,” which has since evolved into the modern “pumpkin.”

 We use pumpkins for both food and recreation — especially during Halloween and Thanksgiving.. Pumpkin pie has become a traditional part of Thanksgiving in both the U.S. and Canada. We also carve jack-o’-lanterns around Halloween, although the pumpkins we eat and the ones we carve generally come from two different types of winter squash. (Note: A gourd is generally considered inedible squash.) Remember — gourds get funny faces. Squash winds up on the dinner table.

 The Halloween connection dates back to the 1800s.  The term “jack-o’-lantern” first appeared in 1837, while the idea of a carved pumpkin, specifically, originated in 1866.

In Franklin, NC we know what pumpkins are really made for;   FUN.

 

 

[ebinmaine 74,557]

18 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

pumpkins are really made for;   FUN.

 

 

Check out Punkin Chunkin on the interwebs too. 

[Bar Nuthin 1,485]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Check out Punkin Chunkin on the interwebs too. 

 

I remember when those were televised.  Some of those trebuchets were absolutely frightening!!  And some of those dudes had more money in their air cannons than I paid for my house!

[JoeM 8,897]

To bad there ain't a hill at the big show. We could have a world famous tire roll. 

My money is on uncle Jim! 

[wh500special 2,338]

Unless you grow your own pie pumpkin for your traditional thanksgiving pie, there’s a 95% chance the canned pumpkin you’ll use will have come from a single processing facility in Morton, IL.  Farms state and region-wide feed into that thing where pumpkins are cleaned, cooked, and puréed.  
 

Morton’s been dubbed the Pumpkin Capital of the World. 
 

Overall, Illinois accounts for almost half of the nation’s total pumpkin harvest and beats the combined total of the next four or five states.  Apparently our soil and climate are tailor made for these things.   On average, Illinois pumpkin fields can produce 40000 pounds of pumpkins per acre.  
 

This was apparently a banner year.  We had a widespread drought in the late summer which is evidently ideal for pumpkin production.  They love hot and dry during the maturing and ripening process. 
 

I’m not particularly curious or interested in pumpkins (In fact, I find pumpkin pie - and squash in general - unpalatable), but given our state’s prominence in this market it makes the news every fall like clockwork.  

more trivia for the day. 

Steve

[953 nut 62,166]

The bottom of the hill where the pumpkin roll takes place always has an abundance of pumpkins growing wild.

1 hour ago, wh500special said:

Morton’s been dubbed the Pumpkin Capital of the World. 

Every community has its claim to fame, the little town of Phelps NY is the sauerkraut capital of America. As a kid we raised a lot of cabbage for a couple of years and took it there for processing.   @squonk and @rjg854 live up near there, they can tell you how pungent the aroma can become in early winter.

[squonk 44,622]

6 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

The bottom of the hill where the pumpkin roll takes place always has an abundance of pumpkins growing wild.

Every community has its claim to fame, the little town of Phelps NY is the sauerkraut capital of America. As a kid we raised a lot of cabbage for a couple of years and took it there for processing.   @squonk and @rjg854 live up near there, they can tell you how pungent the aroma can become in early winter.

There's a kraut processing plant just north of the hospital I work at. One day the wind was just right and I get a call for an odor in the OR's. I go in and I can tell it's the kraut plant. Nothing I can do. They ask should they do anything special. I told them to go get some hot dogs and buns and make the best of it. A couple of them wanted me to call them and tell them to shut down. I told them to call and good luck!

[rmaynard 16,588]

[rjg854 12,514]

14 hours ago, 953 nut said:

 @squonk and @rjg854 live up near there, they can tell you how pungent the aroma can become in early winter.

[wh500special 2,338]

On 10/26/2025 at 6:20 PM, 953 nut said:

…

Every community has its claim to fame, the little town of Phelps NY is the sauerkraut capital of America. As a kid we raised a lot of cabbage for a couple of years and took it there for processing.   @squonk and @rjg854 live up near there, they can tell you how pungent the aroma can become in early winter.

Absolutely. 
 

The town where I grew up was known for having the most polluted air in the state.  A distinction held for many years. 
 

We bragged about it a surprising amount but would have gladly traded for sauerkraut. 
 

Steve

[squonk 44,622]

Kraut farms to the west. Chemical plant to the north. Sewer treatment plant and NYS's largest landfill to the NE. Cow farms to the south and west. Pig farms to the south and east. All within sniffing distance from my house! 

Edited October 28 by squonk