Patrick Oconnell
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a popular heirloom pumpkin variety and one of the oldest cultivated in America. But what does it taste like?
Described as the epitome of pumpkin, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin has a mild, sweet, and earthy flavour, with a dense and silky-smooth texture. It is a versatile ingredient that can be boiled, baked, steamed, pickled, or roasted, and is especially popular for use in pies, soups, and purees.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Resembles a wheel of cheese |
| Colour | Buff, a pale peachy-cream, similar to butternut squash |
| Texture | Fine-grained, stringless, silky-smooth |
| Taste | Mild, sweet, earthy, savoury |
| Uses | Pies, soups, purees, desserts, preserves, pasta, stews |
What You'll Learn
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin's taste and texture
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a popular heirloom pumpkin variety and is one of the oldest cultivated in America. It is known for its distinctive appearance, resembling a wheel of cheese. This pumpkin variety has a unique taste and texture that makes it a favourite for cooking, especially in pies.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin has a mild and sweet flavour, with a distinctive earthy and savoury taste. Its flesh is described as dense, fine-grained, and stringless, resulting in a velvety smooth texture when cooked. The pumpkin's deep orange flesh is moist and buttery, contributing to its creamy mouthfeel.
When roasted, the pumpkin's flavour intensifies, and it becomes even sweeter. Its texture transforms into a silky-smooth puree, perfect for pies, soups, and other desserts. The pumpkin's versatility extends beyond its flesh, as even its seeds can be roasted and enjoyed.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a medium to large-sized pumpkin, weighing between six and ten pounds. It has a light burnt sienna-coloured rind with subtle ribbing and a distinctive stem. The flesh is a deep orange colour, contributing to its attractive appearance and overall sensory experience.
Overall, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is prized for its unique flavour and texture, making it a favourite for cooks and bakers, especially for creating rich and indulgent autumn treats. Its versatility, nutritional profile, and long storage life make it a valuable addition to any kitchen.
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The pumpkin's versatility in cooking
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a versatile ingredient in cooking, with a distinctive appearance and flavour. As the name suggests, it resembles a wheel of cheese, with a buff, tan or peach-coloured skin and a deep orange flesh. It is a medium to large pumpkin, weighing between six and ten pounds.
The pumpkin's versatility is partly due to its edible shell, flesh, seeds and flowers. The flesh is particularly useful in cooking, with a dense, fine-grained, stringless texture and a sweet, earthy and savoury flavour. It can be boiled, baked, steamed, pickled, or
The pumpkin's seeds are also edible and can be roasted. The seed oil has a savoury flavour and can be used in salads, soups, and vegetable dishes.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is one of the oldest pumpkin varieties cultivated in America, and was first grown in Central or South America, making its way to the Northeastern region via trade in the 1500s. It became very popular in the 1700s and was commercially introduced in 1807. However, in the mid-20th century, it was largely replaced by other pumpkins that were easier to process on a mass scale.
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Its history and decline
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is one of the oldest pumpkin varieties cultivated in America. It is believed to have originated in Central or South America and made its way to the Northeastern United States via trade in the 1500s. By the 1700s, it had become very popular in the region, flourishing in East Coast gardens.
In the 1800s, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin was introduced to the commercial market by Bernard McMahon of Philadelphia, who offered its seeds for sale. It became a regional favourite, frequently mentioned in cookbooks and farmers' almanacs, and was promoted as the quintessential variety for making pumpkin pie. Its popularity continued to grow throughout the century, and it became the most commercially successful pumpkin of the time.
However, in the mid-20th century, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin began to decline in popularity. This was due to the industrial appeal of new pumpkin cultivars that were easier to can for mass distribution. Rounder varieties with smooth surfaces were preferred as they could be more easily processed on a large scale. As a result, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin seed began to disappear from retailers, and even farmers on Long Island stopped saving them.
By the 1970s, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin had almost disappeared entirely. However, dedicated individuals and organisations worked to bring it back. Ken Ettlinger, a local seed saver, began collecting and saving the seeds from remaining cheese pumpkins. He collaborated with Curtis Sylvestor Showell, a squash seed breeder in Maryland, who planted Ettlinger's seeds and grew enough to supply a commercial retailer. Additionally, initiatives like the Long Island Regional Seed Consortium and the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Project were established to revive the popularity of this variety and to preserve its culinary and cultural significance.
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How to grow the pumpkins
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a classic American heirloom, named for its resemblance to a wheel of cheese. It is one of the oldest pumpkin varieties cultivated in America, dating back to the early 1800s when it was the favoured variety for sweet pumpkin pies. This pumpkin variety has a long history of being a favourite due to its sweet and finely-grained flesh that can be used in an array of recipes.
Planting
Directly sow the seeds in warm, well-drained, fertile soil, with a planting depth of about 1 inch. The soil temperature should be at least 60°F, and it is best to plant two weeks after the last spring frost date. If you are planting in Zones 9 and 10, you can start as early as April, but the seeds must be protected from the cold. Alternatively, you can start the seeds indoors in starter pots with a heating pad 2-3 weeks before transplanting them outdoors.
Spacing
Pumpkins need adequate spacing to thrive. When direct sowing, plant 3-5 seeds per hill, spaced several feet apart, or seed in rows, with one plant every 2-3 feet. The vines grow very long, so ensure they have ample space to sprawl.
Care
Enrich the soil with organic fertilizer, compost, and/or well-rotted manure. Provide regular watering, but ease up on watering towards maturity to avoid watery flesh. Do not water overhead as this promotes foliar diseases. Be mindful of powdery mildew, which is common in certain zones.
Pollination
Pumpkin plants need good pollination to ensure ample fruit set. To achieve this, plant more than one pumpkin plant and consider planting flowers that attract pollinators, such as cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers.
Harvesting
Harvest when the pumpkin's colour is well-developed and the rind is hard. The stem should be turning brown and woody. Cure the pumpkins in a dry, sunny place for about a week, and then store them in a cool, dry, and dark place. Properly cured and stored pumpkins can last for over a year.
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Long Island Cheese Pumpkin in comparison to other pumpkins
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is one of the oldest pumpkin varieties cultivated in America. It is well-suited for the region's climate and is a delicious and versatile choice for many types of cooking.
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin vs. Other Pumpkins
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin stands out from other pumpkins with its unique appearance, resembling a wheel of cheese. It has a light burnt sienna-colored rind, a distinctive stem, and flesh that is a deep orange or raw sienna colour. The flesh is also dense, stringless, and mildly sweet with earthy and savoury notes. Its versatility is another distinguishing factor, as most parts of the plant are edible, including the shell, flesh, seeds, and flowers. It can be prepared in various ways, such as boiling, baking, steaming, pickling, or roasting, and is commonly used in soups, purees, desserts, preserves, pasta, and stews.
In comparison, other pumpkins may have more stringy or fibrous flesh, and their flavour may be more watery or bitter. The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is particularly renowned for its use in pumpkin pies due to its smooth, velvety texture and natural sweetness. Its ability to create a fine-textured, dense, and flavourful pie is exceptional.
Additionally, the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is a good source of nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, and potassium. It is also low in calories and high in fibre, making it a healthy choice.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is an excellent example of a pumpkin variety that excels in both taste and versatility. Its unique characteristics, especially its smooth and mildly sweet flesh, set it apart from other pumpkins, making it a favourite for cooking and baking, especially in the Northeastern region of America.
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Frequently asked questions
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin has a mild and sweet taste with a distinctive dense, earthy, and savoury flavour.
The pumpkin has a light burnt sienna-coloured rind and raw sienna-coloured flesh. It is medium to large in size, weighing between six and 10 pounds.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is very versatile, with most parts of the plant being edible. The flesh can be boiled, baked, steamed, pickled, or roasted, and then used in soups, purees, desserts, preserves, pasta, and stews.
The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin is one of the oldest pumpkin varieties cultivated in America. It was first grown in Central or South America and made its way to the Northeastern region via trade in the 1500s. By the 1800s, it was commercially introduced and mass-produced, with its stringless and sweet flesh being promoted as the best for pumpkin pie. However, in the mid-20th century, it was replaced by other pumpkins that were easier to process on a large scale.
