Pumpkins

We grow pumpkins on over 800 acres at the Dan Schantz Farm in Zionsville, PA and we pick them daily to ensure freshness. We have all the usual varieties and some of the unusual ones as well. We also carry hand Painted Pumpkins and pumpkins up to 200 pounds. Every year Dan heads out to the Great Pumpkin Weigh off in Altoona, PA to bring back the biggest pumpkin he can. It’s worth a visit to either of our stores to see this gigantic squash and take a picture with the kids. Here’s a list of the different varieties we grow:

• Jack Be Little - weighs less than 1 lb white and orange
• Baby Pam - averages 3-4lbs also know as pie pumpkins
• Pumpkin Little - smooth pint sized pumpkin weighing in at 12 oz.
• Mystics - 5-7 lbs • Lantern - 9-12 lbs
• Face - 12-18 lbs • Prize Winners - 30-135 lbs

We also have Cheese pumpkins, Neck pumpkins, fairy tale pumpkins, Turban or Mexican Hat pumpkins and more.
 

The best pumpkin for making pies, according to many Dan Schantz employees is the neck pumpkin, it has a long neck with a round bulb at the end and is a kind of tan color, it doesn’t look like your regular pumpkin but has the best flavor for pies!

FUN PUMPKIN FACTS

Pumpkins originated in Central America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico, dating back over 7,000 years to 5500 B.C.

The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon." Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm," their word for "squash."

The pumpkin is one of only a few foods we still eat today that is native to North America.

The Pilgrims and other early New England settlers liked to use pumpkins, they will keep for several months if stored in a cool, dry place. Pumpkins were a main part of the early settler’s daily diet.

Colonists made the first pumpkin pies by slicing off pumpkin tips, removing the seeds and filling the insides with milk, spices and honey, then baking it all in hot ashes. Pumpkins were also used as an ingredient for the crust of pies.

Pumpkins were used for many different things. Dried pumpkin shells served as bowls or containers for storing grains and seeds. Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats from them.

Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.

Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000 pounds.

Some pumpkins are gray or pale green, but most are yellow or orange. Some are even white.

Pumpkins are 90 percent water, high in fiber and contain potassium & Vitamin A.

Pumpkin flowers are large and yellow. They are also edible.

Pumpkins are cucurbits, related to cucumbers, squash, melons and gourds.

Some kinds of pumpkins are grown for cattle to eat.

The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.

Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.

The tradition of carving pumpkins at Halloween started with the Irish, but the original jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S., they found pumpkins a plenty, and they were much easier to carve.