"100% pure pumpkin" crows the Libby web site. They announce that they only use "a special variety of pumpkin called
the Dickinson." But is that really pumpkin? Experts disagree. For one, it's not orange. The Dickinson Field squash belongs to a species known as Cucurbita
moschata, sharing a genus (Cucurbita) with the Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, but betraying its Halloween-y origins with a decidedly tan skin. A little like the butternut squash - and, in fact, the Dickinson cross-polinates with the butternut.
Despite its tan skin, the Dickinson has that lovely orange flesh you expect from your pumpkin (no artificial coloring necessary). It has all the vitamins and minerals you know and love. It tastes great (and - if you really want to know - those pretty orange-skinned pumpkins? they don't taste so good). It's just that the pumpkin on the label, the one with the bright orange skin, is a bit of a white lie.
10-24-2005 @12:38PM Berkana said... This is amazing!
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10-24-2005 @1:58PM niki said... When my dog got cancer last year, my Vet had me add Libby's pumpkin to her diet. She also suggested I add it to the other dog's diets as well. She said it is an excellent source of fiber, and the dogs do love it.
Never thought I would make a comment like this on a food blog :).
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10-24-2005 @2:11PM Sir Not Appearing in this Blog said... At least it's not cucurbita moschita. Eating a pumpkin pie made with that genus makes you talkreallyreallyfast.
Or was that too obscure?
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10-25-2005 @2:33AM Terry Bain said... That's it. From now on, no more "Pumpkin" pie for me. It's either "Dickinson Field Squash" pie. With Cool Whip, if you please. (Please don't start with the non cream-ish-ness of Cool Whip. Oh, the horrors.)
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