When it comes to doorway décor, think beyond the traditional orange pumpkin.
We’re just a few short days away from Halloween, and you’re probably thinking about getting a pumpkin, the traditional welcome sign for all the neighbourhood trick-or-treaters.
But don’t think you have to go with the traditional bright orange jack o’lantern. In recent years, we’ve seen a bumper crop of unusually coloured, shaped and sized pumpkins. (Technically, a pumpkin is both a squash and a gourd, and like melons and cucumbers, is a member of the cucurbit family, whose members are actually considered fruit. Confused yet?)
Here are four types of pumpkins/squashes/gourds/whatever that go beyond the traditional orange orb, and are perfect for decorating your front porch this fall.
Blue pumpkins: Jarrahdale is an heirloom variety from Australia that ranges in hue from dusty grey to greenish blue, and has a golden flesh that is sweet and fine in texture. Other blue varieties include the pale Blue Max, Kabocha and Kakai.
White pumpkins: Ghostly, gorgeous and perfect for creating seasonal displays with lots of contrasting colour. We love the Baby Boo, a white mini pumpkin with long, distinct handles, and we might love the Cotton Candy, luminous with white flesh under a stark white shell, even more. Other white pumpkins of note are Lumina, Sirius Star and Super Moon.
Tan pumpkins: You can imagine Cinderella’s carriage turning into the romantic-looking Fairy Tale pumpkin. Also known as Musquee de Provence, it is flattish, tan in colour and ribbed with heavy lobes. Beautiful, yes, but chefs also love its sweet, creamy flavour. The Long Island Cheese is another tan pumpkin; one of the oldest varieties cultivated in North America, it is perfect for pie.
Warty pumpkins: These are super-trendy right now and perfect for spooky scenarios. Galeux d’Eysines is a gorgeous French heirloom that features a flattened globe with salmon-peach skin and knobbly bumps created by a buildup of sugar under the skin. Other warty varieties include Knucklehead, Warty Goblin and Warty Gnome.
