Did You Know?

Spalding is the self-professed pumpkin capital of Britain , because it's the home of the country's biggest producer. David Bowman grows around two million pumpkins a year and supplies all the major supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom . Mr Bowman is a major contributor to the Pumpkin Festival, which celebrates the importance of the pumpkin to the town, and supports the event by giving away literally hundreds of pumpkins to ensure the success of the event

Mr Bowman says that although getting the harvest in for Halloween is his busiest time, it's a busy year all round.
"We plant in May, then of course we have to keep them clean all through summer. In the winter we're making more wooden bins to get an ever increasingly crop into. It's a full time job - just some of the times aren't as hectic".

Did You Also Know ….

… that a pumpkin is really a squash?
It is! It's a member of the Cucurbita family, which includes squash and cucumbers.

… that pumpkins are grown all over the world?
Six of the seven continents can grow pumpkins including Alaska ! Antarctica is the only continent that they won't grow in.

… that the "pumpkin capital" of the World is Morton , Illinois and not Spalding, Lincolnshire ?!
The pumpkin capital of the World is where you'll find the home of the Libby Corporation's pumpkin industry – canned pumpkin puree is a staple of most American kitchens and Libby’s canned pumpkin is America ’s best-selling brand.

…that the Irish brought the tradition of pumpkin carving to America ?
The tradition originally started with the carving of turnips. When the Irish emigrated to the America they found plenty of pumpkins, which were much easier to carve for their ancient festival.

… that:

·         pumpkins contain potassium and vitamin A.

·         pumpkin flowers are edible.

·         the largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 159 kilograms. It used 36 kilograms of cooked pumpkin, 16 kilograms of sugar, 12 dozen eggs, took six hours to bake…. and tasted really, really good!

·         in early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

·         pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

·         the largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 518kilograms.

·         pumpkins are ninety percent water.

·         eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United Kingdom is available in October.

·         native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash"

·         pumpkins are actually a fruit, not a vegetable.