Cucurbita pepo

Squash in the Pepo group are the zucchini and pumpkin squashes; this is where the Jack O'Lanterns live. Most of the pumpkins for carving are in this group, as well as nearly all the zucchini types you saute up for dinner. The pumpkins that originally were used for soups or pies were also part of this group. However, due to preservation techniques like freezing or refrigeration, most of the pie and soup squashes are found in the Maxima group.

Originally the pilgrims and native Americans used the small orange "pie pumpkin" for pie, but only because it was small with thin meat. The method for preservation was to slice the small pumpkin laterally, loop the rind through a wooden dowl and hang the squash above the hearth, drying the vegetable meat. Using this method, it would be advantageous to select thin meated squash and pumpkins; thus the first pumpkin pies were more like squash with some herbs that were put into a pie crust. Over the decades preservation methods changed and eventually it was just more logical to use a freezer or canning techniques to preserve pumpkins from the Maxima group which have far thicker meat and are sweeter. It took me a few years to understand how historical presedent can influence the mind of a person buying a vegetable simply on the name alone. People buy "pie pumpkins" thinking that is the pumpkin used for pies, but actually any squash in the Maxima group is infinitely better than using a "pie pumpkin". Today, I try to emphasize either using a hubbard or the Jaspee de Vendee, which is of the pepo group.

Jaspee De Vendee - Vine growth. This is the pumpkin you want to choose for "pumpkin pie" if you were to choose a small pumpkin in the pepo group. The pumpkin in small, just enough for one pie and a little left over for dinner. The meat is thicker, and very sweet for squash in this group. The color is creamy yellow, not bright orange, therefore a bit misleading for pumpkins which tend to be orange.

Originally I selected this squash because it was developed over the centuries in the Vendee region of France; I had just read about the French Revolution and the Vendee was one of those areas the peasants targeted for their allegience to the Catholic Church. The Papist were driving and hunted by the revolutionaries to starvation; I imagine some of these Vendee residents attempting to eat this squash, though I think it was March when they were being hunted, so there wasn't squash to eat, nor any time to start vegetables.

Open Pollinated Seeds, Tualatin Valley Grown, farmingtongrapelibrary.com

Costa Romanesca - Bush type, this is an awesome zucchini because it is ribbed. When harvested and sliced the ribs turn into gears, making this a fun squash to eat. The flavor on this zucchini is very rich and tasty when sauted up in olive oil and sun dried tomatoes. Additionally each plant only produces two squash, making each zucchini valuable as compared to Black Beauty zucchini which produces so many you can't eat them all.

Open Pollinated Seeds, Tualatin Valley Grown, farmingtongrapelibrary.com

Cocozelle - Bush type zucchini, heavy producer, similar to Black Beauty. Not quit as tasty as Costa Romanesca

Open Pollinated Seeds, Tualatin Valley Grown, farmingtongrapelibrary.com

Green Patty Pan - Bush type. I have no idea what to make of this little green squash other than it looks neat and will probably be fun to grow.

Lake Valley Seed, lakevalleyseed.com

Black Beauty Zucchini - You know it, you eat it, every produce department has it. This pepo is so prolific I don't bother saving the seed, it is just easier to spend $5 on a few seed packets each year.

Delicata - You would think this small squash would be more popular given its one person serving size, and maybe during starvation years, the Delicata has saved entire population. I don't like it enough to save the seed; I simply just buy a seed packet or three and germinate out starts for the road side stand and leave it at that.

Acorn - I enjoy collecting seeds of this type from the grocery store. There will be a pallet of these guys outfront of the local Winco, and by simply selecting a nice example you can collect the seeds and make dinner at the same time. The Acorn Squash sold this way at the local stores are grown locally, in 10 acre fields, the seed is pure, and I don't need to bother doing the experiment myself.

Staightneck - This might be worth saving for seed, but I will probably just grow out the seeds I have that came with the the seed packet.

Early Yellow Crookneck - This looks very similar to the Straighneck, but a slight variation. Unless there is a reason to save the seed, I plan to only sell the germinated seeds in the packet.

Gold Rush - Super popular zucchini, but it is patented. I buy half a dozen packets of this each year and just sell off the starts; don't even bother with saving for seed.

Wolf Pumpkin - Breeding work done by Western NY farmer Chris Alwald in 2006. This is one amazing pumpkin; the stem on this thing is huge, large enough to give a child nightmares. From my research there seems to be no indication the pumpkin is patented, rather, Chris introduced this pumpkin to the market. Out of respect for his work I will include his name whenever I sell anything of his work. If he has this pumpkin patented, I would like for him to contact me.