It’s the Great {heirloom} Pumpkin, Charlie B

Look at what I found hiding in my pumpkin & squash patch yesterday. I don’t know how I missed it. Jaune Gros de Paris weighs 24.6 pounds.

 

I planted a patch of heirloom squash and pumpkins early this Summer. We’ve had a few green & yellow zucchini, one spaghetti squash, and a couple little patty pans.  I’ve checked it every day, hoping to find a pumpkin, or at least a baby pumpkin. The fruits have been few and far between, however the blossoms have been plentiful. (I think we need more bees around here.)  So I can’t tell you how excited I was to find this big gem yesterday.

This is my first year planting anything heirloom. We had several heirloom tomato varieties that did well until the blight/fungus thing hit. The pumpkin seeds came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Missouri. Here is Baker Creek’s description of Jaune Gros de Paris:

“The beautiful giant pumpkin of historic Paris, the big pinkish-yellow fruit can grow to over 100 lbs. They are round, flattened and have light ribbing. They are good keepers and are still popular in France. Good in pies, soups and baked. A winner for farm markets!”

Hmmm, pumpkin pie? Pumpkin soup? I’ll think on it while I sit back and admire Jaune. And, next year I’ll shoot for more than one pumpkin.