The big day for pumpkin is fast approaching but how much do you know about this ancient squash?
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! By now everyone is planning the big feast, and undoubtedly pumpkin pie will be included. This is the time of year that cans of pumpkins fly off the shelves, destined for the stomachs of millions of Americans.
Whether or not pumpkin pie was a part of the first Thanksgiving celebration is debated by many. Some say it wasn’t served until the second Thanksgiving, and it definitely was not in the form that we know today. Early pumpkin pie was made by hollowing out a squash and filling it with milk, honey and spices before baking.
Here is some fun pumpkin related trivia to share with your friends and family on Thanksgiving.
- 13% of Americans say pumpkin pie is their favorite, second to apple.
- It’s believed that pumpkins originated in Central America. Seeds from related plants were found in Mexico that dated back to 5500 B.C.
- In early folk medicine pumpkins were suggested as a way to get rid of freckles and a remedy for snake bites.
- A man named Stephen Clarke currently holds the Guinness World Record for fastest carving of a single pumpkin. On October 31, 2013 he carved a jack o’ lantern in 16.47 seconds.
- The largest pumpkin pie on record was made on September 25, 2010 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers and tipped the scales at a whopping 3,699 pounds.
- Pumpkin pie made in a crust first appeared in the 1796 cookbook American Cookery by Amelia Simmons.
