Pumpkin: properties, benefits and nutritional value

Pumpkin is one of those exceptional food to whom due justice has not yet been done. Among its properties: it is digestive, delicious, attractive in appearance and is full of substances with a multitude of health benefits. These are merits that justify frequent use, with different preparations, in autumn and winter.

We’re only beginning to learn about the culinary and nutritional possibilities of pumpkins, even though it’s been more than five centuries since ships returning from the Americas brought the first to Europe.

Origin of the pumpkin

Apparently, the pumpkin plant, a botanical relative of melon, zucchini, watermelon and cucumber, originated in the area between Guatemala and Mexico, where about ten thousand years ago wild varieties that had little pulp and bitter taste were consumed.

But the American farmers were selecting the seeds until they obtained a sweet and aromatic food. It became such an essential heritage for the natives that some North American tribes buried their dead with gourds, perhaps as a reserve of food and protection for the afterlife.

pumpkin types

In America there are summer squashes, which are eaten immature, raw, with the skin and all, but the most popular, especially among us, are those that they are harvested from September to November, when they are fully ripe and require cooking.

belong to families Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. mixta, and there are many varieties of different sizes and colors – from yellow to orange, passing through red, green, blue and gray. Most of them weigh from 2 to 8 kg, in some cases they exceed 35 kg and the giant ones that are taken to competitions can reach 600 kg.

Despite all the diversity they share some characteristics. They have a cavity where the seeds are housed, the pulp is gently sweet with a firm, fine-grained texture and the skin is so hard and insulating that it can be stored for months in a cool, dry place.

The best known among us are the citron varieties, pear-shaped, with gelatinous pulp and an intense yellow color, and the confectionery or angel hair.

Other classes are the American, the Spanish green, the violin or peanut and the crooked neck.

In Spain, Half of the pumpkins consumed come from the Canary Islands and Andalusia. They are also grown in Valencia, Murcia and Catalonia, but the world’s largest producers are China, India, Ukraine, the United States, Egypt and Mexico.

Pumpkin properties

The properties of pumpkins are innumerable, especially the autumn and winter varieties, they provide essential vitamins and minerals with hardly any calories.

This vegetable has a great vitamin richness, especially beta-carotene or provitamin A and the other two antioxidant vitamins, C and E.

Another of the properties of the pumpkin is that it provides lycopene, the same antioxidant pigment as tomato, and various B vitamins (B2 and B6 and folic acid).

Among its minerals are the potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. Apart from being low in calories, it is one of the most medicinal foods in our garden.

Properties of pumpkin seeds, rich in zinc

Raw and dried, pumpkin seeds make a healthy snack or snack. Among its minerals, magnesium stands out, important for the cardiovascular and nervous systems: 50 grams cover half of the daily needs.

In addition, its richness in zinc, relatively unusual in plant foods, keeps the immune system in good condition and prevents frequent colds, chronic fatigue or depression.

In children, it improves learning and school monitoring. Also due to the richness in zinc, the favorable incidence of the seeds to prevent and treat benign prostatic hyperplasia is known. The presence of tryptophan in the seeds helps in turn to relax the nervous system and promote sleep.

Nutritional value of pumpkin

The nutritional value per 100 g of pumpkin is as follows:

Calories: 26 (109kJ)Omega-3 fatty acids: 3mgOmega 6 fatty acids: 2mgFiber: 0.5gVitamin A: 7386 IUVitamin C: 9mgFolates: 16 mcgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.8mgMatch: 44mgPotassium: 340mg

What are the benefits of pumpkin?

Due to its nutritional composition, pumpkin is advisable at all stages of life, especially in childhood, as it contributes to the good condition of the skin, bones and teeth, as well as the nervous system and digestive system.

The benefits of pumpkin are multiple: it turns out highly recommended during pregnancy and lactation. It is also a convenient food in case of diabetes, because although it is sweet, its sugars are slowly absorbed and do not overload the pancreas. Consumed regularly it can be beneficial in many other health disorders:

• urinary system: cystitis, prevention of kidney stones, fluid retention, kidney failure.
• Cardiovascular system: arterial hypertension, prevention of angina pectoris, maintenance of an adequate level of cholesterol and anemia.
• Immune system: chronic infections, flu, prevention of degenerative diseases.
• Digestive system: gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer, constipation, intestinal parasites.
• Nervous system: anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia.
• Metabolic diseases: obesity and excess uric acid.
• Respiratory system: pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma.
• Eye health: photophobia, night blindness, cataracts.
• Men’s health: benign prostatic hypertrophy, prevention of prostate cancer, infertility (oligospermia).
• Cancer prevention: especially colon, bladder, prostate, lung and uterus.

Cooking and preserving pumpkin

Pumpkin is the Cinderella of vegetables: humble but brilliant in its time in the kitchen… because you can prepare countless recipes with pumpkin that are full of flavour, aroma and colour.

It is used in numerous culinary preparations: in cream, soups, broths, purées, baked, boiled, sautéed, braised, gratin, to give color to a stew or as a meat garnish, in a cake or flan, on pizza, as a filling for ravioli or cannelloni, or as a garnish for rice pilaf, legumes or pasta.

It is also used to prepare jams, syrups or jams. The angel hair with which sweets and cakes are filled is made with the confectionery variety.

But the cooked pulp of the pumpkin is also a main ingredient in pies, pies and puddings.

How to cook pumpkin

Before using the gourd, it should be cleaned with a damp cloth. To cook it there are several options:

Can roast cut in half and seeded, and then empty the pulp, crush it and use it in creams, soups or purees.
Sliced ​​and roasted in the oven with honey and spices, it offers a delicious and easy-to-prepare sweet recipe. you can chop it up and leave it clean of skin, seeds and fiber before steaming or boiling.
It is not convenient to cook the pumpkin in excess, maximum about 20 minutes; thus its flavor and nutrients are preserved.

The spices and aromatic plants they go well in both sweet and savory preparations: cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, cardamom, cumin, ginger, thyme, oregano, rosemary, fennel, coriander, chives, basil, pepper… Curry is also used successfully, especially in the soups.

The orange, either its skin or the juice, gives it an acid touch. And soy sauce is perfect for seasoning it: by cutting the pulp into large cubes and marinating it in a soy sauce dressing with aromatic plants, garlic and anchovies, an exotic and very tasty pumpkin is obtained as a starter or garnish for salmon, seitan or chicken.

Purchase and conservation of the pumpkin

To choose a good autumn pumpkin it is convenient to look at the skin. If it is smooth and fine it may be a bit green.

The best are those with thick but intact skin, with the peduncle, and a high weight in relation to size. This way they will last several months, although it is always better to consume them just right.

To keep them the ideal is a cool and dry place. Once split, they last at least a week in the fridge, covered with film, covering the skin, or stored in a perforated bag