Branna’s Pumped for Pumpkin Season
What’s more paramount than politics right now? It’s the great pumpkin debate! Whether you’re pro or con, love ‘em or loathe ‘em, ‘tis the season of the incessant surge of the great orange squash. Eighty percent of the U.S.’s pumpkin crop is available during October, making its observance obligatory.
This curious cucurbit is known by many names and is a member of the colorful Cucurbitaceae plant family, a gallant gathering of gourds. In the United States, the term “pumpkin” is often used to describe any round, orange squash, but botanically it is a specific type of squash within the larger gourd family.
There are more than 45 different variations of these marvelous melons, which, by the way, is actually classified as a fruit – not a veritable vegetable. The world’s heaviest calabash was calculated at over 2,600 pounds. Its prodigious presence is profound.
I’d be remiss if I passed up the opportunity to promote the practicality of the perennial pumpkin. Every single part of a pumpkin is actually edible! Yep, you can eat the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, seeds and even the stem! Pumpkins are 90 percent water, which makes them a low-calorie food. One cup of canned pumpkin has less than 100 calories and only half a gram of fat. In comparison, the same serving size of sweet potato has triple the calories. They also have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron. If you are still not a purveyor of pumpkin, there’s more!
Practically every retail product on the market “goes pumpkin” every October. From Oreos to M&M’s to coffees and creamers, this month’s outlook is orange. There are pumpkin Cheerios, chips and cheesecakes. Old Spice deodorant and SPAM, the legendary “canned ham,” have clocked in on this craze. However, my favorite factoid found was Bud Light’s spin – it’s Pumpkin Spice Seltzer. The list goes on and on, but don’t despair, I won’t!
The pumpkin industry is truly big business. The masters of marketing cash in on the brain’s chemistry at play. Our tastebuds are tempted and the sensational scents of the spices trigger associations with Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving feasts. The ignition of nostalgia propels the positive memories that release neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, eliciting enjoyment and creature comfort. Translation – that whiff of clove and cinnamon is basically an engineered proclivity for pleasure.
Have I swayed your sentiment to elect a second chance at this choice fruit? If so, I rest my case. I may be a bumpkin for pumpkin, but you can bet your autumn dollar that I vote “Pumpkin” for the President of Produce!
Branna (McCarty) Shores believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud graduate of NHS and Purdue University, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com