Whether carving them into Jack-o’-lanterns or transforming them into tasty soup, pumpkins and squash serve all your Halloween needs, says Graham Burnett

Samhain, the last day of October, is now better known as Halloween or All Hallows Eve. It marks the end of the old Celtic year and the beginning of the new: the annual transition from the long days of summer to the coming dark winter months. It’s said to be the time when the veil separating the material world and the spiritual realm of our ancestors is most permeable, and has associations with the supernatural and all of the things that go bump in the night. And it’s also the traditional time for celebrating the previous season’s harvest with hearty pies, soups and crumbles, with squashes and pumpkins now to be had in abundance.

Carving Jack-o’-lanterns, or variants thereof, is great fun, and a family activity we enjoyed with our kids right up until they moved away from home in their twenties. Halloween wasn’t Halloween without a pumpkin or two being fashioned into a likeness of a vampire, Dalek or cartoon face of Carl Pilkington off of The Ricky Gervais Show. But did you know that every year in the UK alone, an estimated 18,000 tonnes of shop-bought pumpkin flesh is discarded as waste? It seems that many people just don’t realise its potential as a food source. In fairness though, the football-sized amber-coloured carving pumpkins sold in our supermarkets tend to be rather watery and fibrous in texture – OK for soups and purées but nothing special flavour or texture-wise.

Yet there are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of edible pumpkins and squashes far more rewarding in terms of diversity, taste and nutritional value. Originating in the Americas, they were domesticated as a staple crop by indigenous First Nations peoples, with archaeological traces found of cultivation dating back over ten thousand years in Oaxaca, Mexico. Both pumpkins and squashes belong to the genus Cucurbita, and there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the difference between them, so I tend to refer to them pretty interchangeably. Both are fruits borne on bushy plants or vines with a sprawling habit, and so tend to take up quite a bit of space, but apart from that are pretty easy to grow.

Varieties
Butternut Squash Fruits average nine inches long, with a beige skin and deep orange, smooth-textured, sweet, nutty-tasting flesh that improves with storage. A good source of fibre, vitamins A and C, magnesium, and potassium. Can be roasted, sautéed, toasted, puréed for soups or used in casseroles, breads and pies.
Turk’s Turban A multi-coloured and highly ornamental squash with silver, green, and cream stripes and an orange-red base, seven-to-nine inches across. Floury, sweet and good for cooking. Averages 1-2kg with two or three fruits per plant.
Pattipan Also called simnel, due to its cake-like shape. Introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Have a bushy rather than trailing habit, and therefore more suitable for smaller gardens or containers. Very quick to mature at around 54 days, and best eaten young.
Warty Hubbard An old variety, producing large, dark-coloured warty fruits weighing 5-7kg. They contain thick, dry flesh with excellent flavour and keep for eight to 10 months.
Uchikiri Kuri A versatile variety, highly recommended by my friend Ru Litherland at OrganicLea community growers in northeast London. A good keeper with a rich honey taste and a dense, melting sweet potato texture, it’s also a good pumpkin for carving.
Hungarian Mammoth Variable skin colour from white to dark green, grey or orange. Seeds edible. Weight up to 378lb.

Growing Guide
Sowing Squashes prefer a sunny, warm site with rich, moisture-retentive soil, so it’s a good idea to prepare your planting site with plenty of organic matter. Sow one seed to a three-inch pot (I use cut-down fruit juice Tetrapak cartons – don’t forget to make a drainage hole in the bottom) indoors from mid-April for a stronger, earlier crop, or directly outdoors in late May/early June. Indoor-grown seedlings should be hardened off before planting out after the last frost. Plant carefully, around 1.5m apart, minimising any root disturbance.
Care Water regularly, especially when fruiting, to prevent mildew. Mulch to retain moisture, and feed container-grown plants with organic seaweed or comfrey fertiliser (see Idler issue 77 for recipe) once fruiting starts. Trailing varieties can be pruned or trained on supports.
Harvesting and Storage Summer squash should be picked young and regularly. Winter squash should be left to ripen fully, harvested before frost, then cured in sun before storing in a cool, ventilated area. Properly ripened fruits can last several months.
Common Problems Squashes are vulnerable to frost, slugs, snails, and diseases like grey mould. Good spacing and care can reduce risks.

Spicy Apple and Pumpkin Soup
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium sized pumpkin
2 large carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
1 red pepper
Half tube tomato purée
1 tsp cumin powder
1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 large cooking apple, peeled if preferred
1 large tbsp wholemeal peanut butter
Splash of soy sauce, if liked

Chop sweet potato and pumpkin flesh, carrots and pepper into small chunks. Dice the onion. Gently fry in the olive oil in a heavy pan for 5-10 minutes. Add a mug or so of hot water, cover and leave to simmer for a 5-10 more minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to soften. Stir in tomato purée, cumin and chilli.

Cut the apple into small chunks, discarding the core, and add to pan. Stir in the peanut butter and a small splash of soy sauce. Add another pint of boiling water and leave to simmer on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, or until all ingredients are soft. Transfer to a liquidiser and blend until smooth – you may have to do this in batches.

Return to pan and continue to simmer for a few minutes before serving. If it’s too thick, add a little more hot water, if too thin add more peanut butter.

Stick on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You” to get you in the Samhain mood, and serve with fresh bread and a glass of red wine.

Graham is a permaculture activist and teacher. His latest book Make Compost, Not Work!: Gardening Columns from the Idler is available from www.spiralseed.co.uk with a special 10% off for Idler readers – quote ‘IDLER25’ at the online checkout.

This article is from Idler #105.

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