Here are some random pumpkin-related facts for you.
1. The average mid-sized pumpkin has approximately 500 seeds inside. Those are mostly the ones used for carving. The giant ones that you see at fairs and in competitions can have around 800 seeds.
2. A man named Trevor Hunt holds the Guinness World Record for most pumpkins carved in an hour. In 2014, he carved 109 pumpkins in 60 minutes, or just 33 seconds per pumpkin.
3. According to the internet, every part of a pumpkin is edible, including the skin, leaves, flowers, and stem. (Uh, I’ll go ahead and take their word for it!)
4. Pumpkin is a great source of beta carotene, which is what gives it its orange color, like carrots and sweet potatoes. Beta carotene turns into vitamin A after you eat it, which is excellent for your eye and skin health, and supports your immune system.
Pumpkin is also high in potassium, which is good for your heart health. They’re loaded with vitamin C, fiber, iron, and antioxidants, and they’re low in calories. One cup has about 50 calories.
5. Pumpkins are native to Central America, and the oldest evidence is in pumpkin fragments that were found in Mexico and date back to around 6,000 B.C. Now, pumpkins are grown on six of the seven continents.
Any wild guesses as to the continent that is NOT growing pumpkins right now? Yeah, Antarctica.
(NYBG / Guinness World Records / UT Austin / Cleveland Clinic / Wikipedia)
