Tasteless pumkpins

[Nik]

My pumkpins this year have barely been worth eating, they taste of nothing at all. Can anyone suggest a decent, flavoursome variety of pumpkins I can try next year?

[chris]

What did you grow?

The *best* tasting one I've ever had is Crown Prince. Fullstop.

[Thelma Sanders]

I like Uchiki Kuri, not too big and very tasty IMO

My namesake, Thelma Sanders, is sweeter - so I use it in puddings

[taff]

oops, wrong thread....

[Two_Sheds]

Too much watering of your pumpkins? That possibly might give them no flavour, unless you grew a size bred for its size not its taste

[realfood]

Nik, what variety are you growing? If it is the Halloween type, then they tend to have a poor taste. You need to grow Winter squashes that have been bred for taste, and to allow them to continue growing until the plant is dying off in late Autumn. Then dry them off properly. According to advice from a seed breeder to commercial growers, the squashes gain a significant amount of sweetness and flavour in the final 2 or 3 weeks of the plant's life.
There is useful information on growing and varieties here :- winter_squash

[northepaul]

Crown Prince Squash, and butternuts.....yum!!

[horticultural_hobbit]

The only thing that Bruno tasted of, was the contents of Ma's spice box. That said Ghostriders are primarily used for carving. For Ma that would have been sacralidge, and she was adamant that pumpkins would be sweet.

However, VVG has advised me that using products such a miracle gro won't do the flavour of crops any favours. She'd also informed me that curcurbits like poo and humus in their beds. Our courgettes were fine, even if they were miracle gro'd. Courgettes never taste of anything anyway!

[chris]

Mine taste of courgette!

[chris]

(try the yellow ones, HH they have a mild flavour.. Some of the striped ones don't goto mush either, they're quite nice lightly fried/griddled).

I do them as above and put them in salads with pepper and aubergine, adds a nice texture and taste to salads IMO!

[horticultural_hobbit]

I'm going to! Think the yellow is lovely and would make a nice splash of colour on the plot. Will have a look in Wilkos in the spring; if not I'll have a look at the pretty catalogues.

[Nik]

Thanks all, good advice. I don't know what variety they were. They were in a free packet the National Trust were giving away. They were good for carving but I'd prefer to eat them.

[Two_Sheds]

They were in a free packet

hahahaha - yep, that sounds like what you get from a free packet

Better luck next year (buy something tasty )

[chris]

(keep an eye out for the new seed parcel - should be some different squad to choose from.

[jackyspratty]

If you like little ones Jack be little are tasty and can be stuffed individually and roasted. Would agree red kuri is great also potimarran sweet and chestnutty!