Blue pumpkins are native to the Americas and are one of the rarest pumpkin colorings. The pumpkin's blue-grey, sometimes green, tone is a natural genetic trait developed through traditional crossbreeding and hybridization techniques.
Blue Pumpkins are select cultivars of round Curcubita winter squash with naturally blue-colored rinds. Popular varieties include the Jarrahdale Pumpkin and the Queensland Blue Pumpkin – both heirlooms from Australia.
Jarrahdale: This blue pumpkin has a golden-orange flesh that is fine-textured and sweet.
Queensland Blue pumpkins are, as their name suggests, an old Australian heirloom blue-skinned pumpkin ideal for growing in the subtropics. The year that Queensland Blue pumpkins were first grown is unknown but they were first grown overseas in 1932 so their origin in Australia predates this.
Queensland blue is a medium-sized pumpkin which has the blossom and stem ends flattened. It is deeply ribbed, hard slate grey skin with a yellow-orange flesh. This variety is favoured for use in scones. Its drier texture lends itself to baking and boiling.
Queensland Blue pumpkins are a blue-skinned varietal often used in pumpkin soups. The variety's smooth, dry flesh is naturally used as a thickener in the soup, and its sweet flavor lasts throughout the cooking process, giving the dish a distinct taste.
Queensland blue pumpkin
It's a drier variety of pumpkin, which makes it great for steaming, boiling and baked goods. It's particularly good when mashed for scones and cakes. Its rich, full flavour stores very well.
Cut your pumpkins when they give off a hollow sound when you rap on the skin. Give them as much stem as you can. If the skin is undamaged they will keep very well, particularly if left to cure in a sunny spot for about a week.
Pumpkin colors include blue, the rarest color!
If you want really a rare pumpkin, try growing a Blue Pumpkin. They are often referred to as Australian Blue Pumpkins, or Jaradale. More closely resembling a Turban squash than a true pumpkin, they are smaller and flatter than a Jack O'Lantern, with a bluish grey color.
PUMPKIN QLD BLUE WHOLE $2.89 PER KG (1=7KG APPROX) – She's Apples Markets Mt Gambier.
Queensland blue pumpkin
These are some of the largest-growing pumpkins out there. Because of their size, they're ideal for boiled or baked food, with a smoky, savoury taste that fits with plenty of curries and scones.
Queensland Blue Pumpkins grow from a medium to a large-sized pumpkin with blue-ish grey to blue-green skin. The fruit has a sweet pleasant flavour and is just one of a number of different variety of pumpkins available. These pumpkins can weigh between 3 to 6kgs and generally have a flattened bottom and con-caved top.
Grow a garden filled with Blue Jarrahdale Pumpkins, from freshly harvested Cucurbita maxima seeds. Blue Jarrahdale is an heirloom that produces 10 to 14 inch pumpkins with pale gray, almost green-blue skin. Each Pumpkin plant will produce about 3 to 5 fruits per vine & each fruit will weigh about 6 to 12 pounds each.
Queensland blue pumpkin:
A large (5-7kg) blueish-grey pumpkin with smooth, deeply ribbed skin and full-flavoured golden orange flesh. The baby blue (about 2kg) is a miniature version. The pureed flesh is a favourite for scones.
Some parents want to spread awareness of autism by turning their pumpkins blue, or having blue plastic pumpkin containers. The idea is it signifies a person trick-or-treating might have some specific needs.
Pink pumpkins are a newer hybrid variety that has light pink to somewhat orangey-pink deeply furrowed skin with a thick stem and deep orange flesh. They're grown from Porcelain Doll pumpkin seeds.
Over 45 different varieties of pumpkin exist. They range in color including orange, red, yellow and green, and they boast names like Hooligan, Cotton Candy, and Orange Smoothie.
While yes, pumpkins are rarer than diamonds, they take a lot less effort to find and are therefore easier to collect than diamonds.
Cinderella pumpkins are a type of winter squash with a mild, sweet flavor and moist texture that makes them great for soups, sauces, purees, and curries. They can be roasted, baked and steamed, and used for ornamental purposes.
Originating in Queensland and growing well in the sub-tropics, this pumpkin is not fussy and will grow successfully around much of Australia. Similar in colour to 'Jarrahdale' but with drier flesh, deeper ribbing and larger fruit. A true Aussie heirloom.
For large, round pumpkins such as Queensland Blue or Kent, cut across the top, using a rocking action. With Kent pumpkins, remove the seed and place cut side down. As the skin is edible, simply cut it into thin wedges to roast. Now your pumpkin is ready to use in your favourite recipe.
With an average weight of 5-7kg, grey or 'Queensland Blue' pumpkins are on the larger end of the Australian pumpkin scale, with orange sweet flesh. They have a bluey-grey, smooth skin and ribbed shape. Jarrahdales are very similar to Grey but are less ribbed and slightly smaller, weighing in at an average of 5kg.
The bluish, grayish pumpkin is likely a cross between the Blue Hubbard Squash and Cinderella Pumpkins. The Jarrahdale gets its flattened shape from Cinderella and the taste and color from the Blue Hubbard.
Queensland blue pumpkins have a strong aroma and sweet flesh perfect for using in baking seasonal treats like fresh scones or roasting to serve with dinner.
Give the pumpkin a little 'knock', like knocking gently on a door. If it sounds hollow, it's a good indication that the pumpkin is ripe. The colour of the skin gives another indication of ripeness. If the fruit has developed a rich colour and is becoming covered in 'warts,' the pumpkin is ready to harvest.