John and Jenny Thull are the husband and wife team behind an amazing pumpkin, squash and gourd patch at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Together they grow more than 300 varieties each year that span the color spectrum from white to orange to red, green and yellow.
their secret to growing such a fine patch is to wait until early June when the soil is warm and put seeds right into the ground. They purchase many of theirs from Baker Creek heirloom Seeds.
Each has it's own characteristics and features but all are edible at some point in their life cycle.
While some of the Asian gourds are best eaten early in their lifespan and have a texture similar to a cucumber, many are best left to ripen on the vine for fall. Jenny recommends the bright red varieties like the red kuri squash for eating because of their high vitamin content and exquisite flavor. For baking, she suggests the greenish ones like the Italian sea pumpkin.
You can see all of the cucurbits, as they are called, on display and for sale at the Arboretum. We have some in our Kare 11 Backyard too!
If you choose to display your before eating them John and Jenny say to keep your pumpkin, squash or gourd off the cement, like on a rack. And keep it dry to prevent rotting. For combating squirrels and other pesky critters who want to eat them a coating of olive oil plus a sprinkle of cayenne pepper should do the trick. Reapply as needed after it rains.
You can often find John and Jenny at the Arboretum's Apple House. Go ahead and say hello and ask them your questions. Jenny is also a very talented chef and is very willing to share recipes. Just ask!
Happy fall!