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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 12:10 AM CDT
Illinois ripe with pumpkin production
By MARK PHELAN, manager of the Coles County Farm Bureau
Illinois leads all other states in the production of pumpkins. In fact, 90 percent of the pumpkins produced for processing are grown in Illinois. Morton processes the most of those pumpkins, making it the pumpkin capital of the world.
The pumpkin was grown by Native Americans and was considered very important. The pumpkin was easy to store through the long winters. They found over the centuries many different ways to enjoy the sweet inner meat of the pumpkin. They baked, boiled, roasted, fried, parched, and dried it.
The Pilgrims were taught by the Native Americans on how to grow and cultivate and prepare the pumpkins. It was a good thing, as many would have starved over the long winters without this storable gourd. They also used the hollowed shells for dishware, containers and many other needed uses.
Members of the gourd family include pumpkins, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and more. There are over 760 varieties of gourds providing a great variety of flavors, textures, shapes, sizes and uses.
Another popular use of the pumpkin includes the holiday tradition of Jack-O-Lanterns. These whimsical decorations date back to the Druids and Celts, which used the carved turnip to scare off an evil spirit. The spirit was called Jack O’Lantern. There were also many other variations from other countries and religions celebrating this fall holiday. Modern American culture adopted this using the pumpkin.
The largest pumpkin pie ever made was more than five feet in diameter and weighed more than 350 pounds. It was made using more than 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, and 12 dozen eggs. It took six hours to bake this enormous pie.
Mark Phelan is the manager of the Coles County Farm Bureau.
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HisChild wrote on Oct 31, 2007 6:14 PM: