Fun Pumpkin Varieties

When you think about fall and pumpkins, orange is the color that comes to mind. While orange pumpkins are a great tradition, there are hundreds of pumpkin varieties, with unusual colors and shapes that make for fun fall harvests!

The reason why so many pumpkins are orange is due to their high lutein, alpha- and beta- carotene content, just like carrots. But, even different colored pumpkins are full of nutrients and vitamin A.

White pumpkins, like Casper, Lumina or Baby Boo, have become trendy lately because they're a beautiful blank slate for decorating. The white skin is ideal for painting, and even when carved, the light yellow flesh gives a ghoulish glow in a lit jack-o'-lantern. White pumpkins are a bit pricier than orange ones. If you're displaying them outdoors, keep white pumpkins in the shade so they do not turn yellow.

Ever see a blue pumpkin? Of all the unusual pumpkin colors, blue seems to be the most unexpected. Australian Blue and Japanese Kakai are some of the most common blue varieties, both with bluish-gray skin and light orange flesh. These rare pumpkins are cool for a display with white and orange pumpkins and also good for cooking.

Red pumpkins aren't too much of a stretch from their orange cousins, but they can add some color and depth to a traditional display. Varieties like Red Lakota or Rouge Vif d'Estampes have a deep red sunset color.

Striped pumpkins offer multiple colors on one fruit. Tonda Padana and Tiger Tiger are basically orange with green to gray vertical strips all around the outside. Striped pumpkins are common in smaller sizes, ideal for decorating.

When you're preparing for Halloween or fall decorating, don't limit your pumpkin options to orange. There's a world of color out there!