The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and pumpkin fun facts. As we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know.

We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”

For today’s Did You Know we will look at Pumpkin Fun Facts.

Pumpkin Fun Facts: Pumpkins have been grown in America for over 5,000 years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere and were completely unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus.

  • Pumpkins, gourds, and other varieties of squash are all members of the family Cucurbitacae, which also includes cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.
  • In 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported from the St. Lawrence region that he had found “gros melons,” which was translated into English as “ponpions,” or pumpkins.
  • In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
  • 2/3rd of the pumpkins produced annually are canned.
  • Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
  • The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
  • The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.
  • Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
  • Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
  • Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats and used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine..
  • Native Americans called pumpkins “isqoutm squash.”

Key Dates

  • October 26th is National Pumpkin Day.

Pumpkin Fun Facts We May Have Missed

Feel free to let us know about the Pumpkin Fun Facts we missed. We always love to add to these lists. If we can verify that the facts is just that, a fact, we will give the reader credit in the article.

Reference: Wikipedia facts about Pumpkins.

Find all of the National Food Holidays to spice up your food truck menu specials throughout the year.