I thought the latter until I actually cut into the thing, which was melon-like in consistency but green on the outside, much like this picture from the 19th century. I have decided to treat it like a squash. I will report back on what happens. In the meantime, I am feeling very late Victorian.
13 November 2006
pumpkin redux
so a pumpkin is a fruit. that blows my mind. I discovered this upon trying to find out if the object that was included in my organic veg delivery was more a canteloupe melon or a squash. 
I thought the latter until I actually cut into the thing, which was melon-like in consistency but green on the outside, much like this picture from the 19th century. I have decided to treat it like a squash. I will report back on what happens. In the meantime, I am feeling very late Victorian.
I thought the latter until I actually cut into the thing, which was melon-like in consistency but green on the outside, much like this picture from the 19th century. I have decided to treat it like a squash. I will report back on what happens. In the meantime, I am feeling very late Victorian.
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3 comments:
Again, how funny. I learned about this veritable fact this year as well, as I watched our very own pumpkin patch bloom, blossom & fruit! So of course I go online to look up more info on the family of "gourds & cucurbits". Did you know that many species within this family can cross-breed with other species? As in, yes, you might find a spaghetti[squash]-cucumber-pumpkin out there somewhere... now what would that look like?
I was always taught the distinction between fruits and vegetables was whether or not they had seeds. So tomatoes are a fruit. And I guess eggplants, cucumbers, etc. Which sort of raises the question of what isn't a fruit. Lettuces?
Well, the fruit is what develops from a flower & contains seeds. Not all flowers necessarily fruit, but all fruits must necessarily arise from flowers. That's a more accurate description than "anything with seeds". Because as we know, sunflowers have seeds, but they're not a fruit!
So I guess vegetables are any other part of the plant that's edible... stalk (celery), stem (cilantro?), leaf (lettuce!).
Oh, and I just learned a couple weekends ago that peanuts are roots!!
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