Pumpkin Peanut butter - description and cultivation of the variety

With the variety of pumpkin varieties available, the pumpkin variety Peanut Butter is one of the established favorites. The secret of its popularity lies in its amazing taste: the pumpkin pulp of this variety has a sugar taste, which has few analogues. In addition, the distinctive features are the beautiful color of the fruit, both outside and inside, and a pleasant aroma. It is not surprising that domestic summer residents and rural gardeners from year to year express extremely positive reviews about pumpkin Peanut butter

Pumpkin "Peanut butter" refers to the species Muscat pumpkin, which came to our latitudes from Central and South America, where it is ubiquitous in Mexico, Colombia, Peru. These tasty and aromatic vegetables, cheerful in their color, have perfectly mastered the conditions of the domestic middle zone and are successfully cultivated in vegetable gardens. The species includes several varieties.

A quick overview of butternut squash varieties

The Arbatskaya pumpkin, whose weight can reach 20 kg, is considered a real heavyweight among the nutmeg varieties. These late-ripening vegetables have a cylindrical shape and a rich orange skin tone.

Pumpkin "Arbatskaya"

Pumpkins look like a top hat varieties "Pearl"which can grow up to 8 kg. Fruits with tender pulp ripen within 3 months and reach their maximum size in conditions of high humidity - at least 70% at an air temperature of at least 20 degrees. A distinctive feature of the variety is the unusual color of the foliage - dark green leaf plates are covered with white spots.

Pumpkin "Pearl"

Pumpkins belonging to the variety “Vitamin»: Their elongated fruits ripen within 4 months, developing a sweet crunchy flesh under the skin.

Pumpkin "Vitamin"

The variety is distinguished by an unusual gray speckled color of bumpy skin. "Marble"... Under this shell, there is a fragrant and sweet pulp, colored in a bright orange color. The average weight of this variety is 5 kg.

Pumpkin "Marble"

Pumpkin variety "Delicatessen" gives a rich harvest of dumbbell-shaped fruits. A feature of the variety is the small amount of seeds.

Pumpkin "Delicacy"

The "Golden Pear" variety belongs to miniature crops. Its droplet-like fruits weigh on average no more than 2 kg, but they amaze with an amazing taste, reminiscent of peanuts.

Pumpkin "Golden Pear"

Pumpkin Peanut butter: variety description

Finally, the heroine of our article, the pumpkin "Peanut Butter", like the previous variety, has a taste with pronounced nutty notes. The variety was bred by German breeders and is rightfully considered one of the best varieties of this species. Pear-shaped fruits weighing about 4 kg have an exquisite creamy skin color, under which golden flesh is hidden. In this article we will talk about how to properly plant the "Peanut Butter" pumpkin, how to care for it so that the ripening period is fast, and the harvest is plentiful and tasty.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter: Growing

Nutmeg pumpkins that came to us from South American countries are quite demanding on weather conditions and temperature conditions. "Peanut butter" is no exception: pumpkins of this variety prefer hot and sunny weather and absolutely do not tolerate low temperatures and especially frosts.In this regard, the cultivation of pumpkin "Peanut Butter" in the conditions of the Russian central zone with its cool summer months, frequent prolonged rains and repeated spring frosts are recommended to be carried out through seedlings.

Seed sowing in open ground is possible only after the soil warms up and the air temperature stops dropping below 15 degrees Celsius. In this case, the seed must be pre-treated to speed up the seed germination process. For this purpose, they should be placed in warm water for 2-3 hours. Then the pumpkin seeds should be wrapped with damp gauze or bandage and left until they swell.

When starting to sow seeds in the ground, you should dig planting holes up to 10 cm deep.The interval between them should be from 0.5 to 1 m, depending on the length and number of lashes: the more there are, the more space the pumpkin will need for full growth and development.

2-3 grains are dropped into each planting hole at some distance from each other. When shoots appear, you need to carefully examine them and choose the strongest, tallest and healthiest one. It can be left for further cultivation, while others can be removed from the garden.

Having chosen the method of growing pumpkin through seedlings, at the first stage, sow the seeds in containers with soil. For this, planting pits are made to the soil mixture up to 1 cm deep, at a distance of 5-8 cm from each other. The container with the seedlings must be placed in the sun - the pumpkin variety "Peanut Butter" needs good lighting and high temperatures for the successful germination of seedlings and their development. As in the case of sowing seeds in the ground, the hatched shoots must be examined and carefully selected, leaving only the strongest and most viable specimens. When they are strong enough, they can be transplanted into the ground.

Pumpkin "Peanut Butter": timing of harvest and storage

Harvesting of the Peanut Butter variety begins in the first week of September. The signs of maturity of the pumpkin are dry stalks, as well as a dense structure of the rind - it must be sufficiently firm.

The pumpkin should be cut along with the stalk - this will provide it with a long shelf life. For this purpose, ordinary garden scissors are suitable. Further, the harvested crop is recommended to be placed in a warm, dry room and left there for a period of about 2 weeks. During this time, the excess moisture contained in them will have time to evaporate - the pulp from this will become sweeter and will benefit in its taste characteristics.

Provided that the harvest is carried out correctly, the fruits of the pumpkin "Peanut Butter" can be stored for six months, less often - up to 10 months.

Cooking Peanut Butter Pumpkin

Due to its unsurpassed taste and aroma, pumpkin of the "Peanut Butter" variety is widely used in the preparation of various dishes. In this article, we'll take a look at two of the most popular recipes.

Puree Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• butter - 4 tablespoons;
• pumpkin pulp puree - 300 g;
• mashed potatoes - 150 g;
• peanut butter - 120 g;
• chicken broth - 0.5l;
• sour cream (15%) - 100 g;
• green onions - 15 g;
• salt - ½ teaspoon;
• ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon.

Boil potatoes and pumpkin, then make mashed potatoes from them. It is best to use a blender for thorough chopping. The butter must be melted in a saucepan over low heat, vegetable puree is added to it along with peanut butter.

Then chicken broth, salt, pepper are poured. Stir the contents of the pan thoroughly, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. For the next 15 minutes, the puree soup should simmer over low heat until it acquires the consistency of a cream.

It is recommended to sprinkle the aromatic puree with a golden hue with chopped green onion feathers.Sour cream can be added if desired and to taste, so it would be better to put it on the table separately. Some culinary experts believe that adding it is completely unnecessary - pumpkin soup "Peanut Butter" already has a rich taste and delicate aroma.

Candied fruit recipe

Another culinary use of the Peanut Butter pumpkin is to make such a favorite delicacy as candied fruit from its pulp. To do this, you need to remove the skin from the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut it into small pieces or slices. The standard size of the workpiece is 2 cm by 2 cm. Smaller sizes are undesirable - candied fruits will turn out to be too hard and dry. It is best to use the pulp of the elongated part of the fruit, then you will be able to get more elastic candied fruits. Then you need to roll each of them in sugar and put them on a baking sheet, previously greased with vegetable oil. Preheat the oven to 50 degrees if you plan to dry the pumpkin cubes with the door closed. If the oven is ajar, the temperature should be around 100 degrees. Candied fruits should be dried in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The degree of doneness is quite easy to determine: the middle of the treat should be soft and firm, and the sugar should be melted. Candied pumpkin can be eaten both hot and cold.

Conclusion

It is not for nothing that nutmeg pumpkins are appreciated by gardeners and culinary specialists all over the world. Their palatability, combined with a pleasant aroma and beautiful pulp color, make them an extremely attractive crop. This type includes a variety of varieties, among which "Peanut Butter" is considered one of the favorites due to its exquisite nutty flavor. The small size of the fruits of this variety is regarded by many as an advantage - they are much more convenient to wash, clean and store. A small amount of seeds is also appreciated by culinary specialists, since most of the weight of the pumpkin is its aromatic flesh with a golden hue. Properly harvested pumpkins can be stored throughout the entire autumn-winter period, constantly delighting its owner with the opportunity to serve a healthy and tasty delicacy, or an exquisite puree soup, the recipes for which we have given above.

Despite the love for the hot climate, pumpkin of the Peanut Butter variety is quite capable of growing in the conditions of the Russian central zone. To do this, it is enough to follow the necessary recommendations regarding its planting, growing and care.