Pumpkin is a vegetable that, unfortunately, does not appear very often on our table. But it can be called a real storehouse of nutrients and microelements, and to taste, with proper preparation, of course, pumpkin is able to outshine many of its more commonly used vegetable counterparts in the kitchen. It can be baked, used to make pies, soups, cereals, preserves and even eaten raw. No less tasty and healthy are pumpkin seeds that can compete with the famous sunflower.
There are many varieties and types of pumpkins. Moreover, Japanese pumpkin Hokkaido, which description will be given below, is becoming increasingly popular among lovers of this vegetable.
Vegetable features
Hokkaido pumpkin - in Japan, potimarron (chestnut pumpkin) - in France, “winter” - in England, Hokkaido - in Russia - this is the name for this compact, sweet-tasting, eye-catching representative of melons.
Mature Hokkaido is most often a small fruit (its weight can range from 800 g to 2.5 (rarely 3) kg, pear-shaped or slightly flattened. There are larger relatives of this Japanese vegetable, which are still inferior in popularity to a portioned pumpkin ( so sometimes called Hokkaido for its small size).
The color of this pumpkin is diverse: from sunny orange and bright red to grayish or green. In this regard, sometimes questions arise about whether the green part of Hokkaido’s pumpkin is poisonous. All doubters can confidently answer: no, not poisonous. Hokkaido's green pumpkin can be safely cooked, and it will turn out to be as tasty as orange or reddish. At the same time, the flesh of the vegetable will turn out to be just as tender, with an obvious chestnut or nutty flavor characteristic of this particular pumpkin variety.
Japanese vegetable is good in every way. So, the undoubted advantages of Hokkaido pumpkin - the reviews of housewives and world chefs confirm this - include its rapid ripening (the growing season is on average 3 to 3.5 months from the time of sowing seeds), the ability to be stored for a long time (the pumpkin can lie in the basement or just a cool place unharmed almost all winter), a thin peel (when heated, the peel becomes very soft, so it is often eaten with pulp). Add to this a delicate taste, usually causing associations with a sweet chestnut or potato, as well as nuts or nutmeg - because Hokkaido refers specifically to the nutmeg varieties of this culture.
How to grow a Hokkaido pumpkin
It is worth noting that in terms of vegetation, this variety differs little from those pumpkin varieties that Russia is home to: it is very unpretentious in care and can be successfully grown in a temperate climate. And so that the beds are always fruitful, it is worth taking the advice of those who grow various varieties of Hokkaido pumpkins for a long time.
So, to get an earlier harvest, gardeners often resort to a seedling method of growing this Japanese delicacy. To this end, about a month before planting in open ground, the seeds are soaked for several hours in warm water, then they are placed on a damp cloth and kept on it until the shoots appear (it takes about 3 days). To prevent germinating seeds from drying out, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the napkin - it should be slightly damp. You can also use a solution of potassium permanganate to wet the napkins - it will prevent the growth of bacteria and rotting seeds. Finally, the “hatching” seeds are placed in separate pots - it is advisable that each seed settle in its own “house” by 3-4 cm deep.
Pumpkin care does not cause much trouble after planting tender sprouts in open ground. Only a few rules should be remembered.
Since Hokkaido prefers heat, it is advisable to plant a pumpkin in warm soil and in the corners of the plot that are well warmed by the sun. Further, in addition to loosening the soil, you need to remember only about regular watering - Hokkaido loves this - and about the need to control the number of fruits on one lash. Japanese pumpkin is characterized by abundant fruiting, however, experts recommend leaving no more than 7-8 fruits on the whip - this will help to get larger fruits in a relatively early period.
By the way, such advice will help novice gardeners, including those who decided to plant Hokkaido. As you know, pumpkin lashes grow very much and therefore take up a lot of space. To save space on the site, experienced people plant pumpkins in tall barrels. This, firstly, turns the pumpkin into a fairly compact plant, and secondly, gives a certain originality to the design of the site.
Varieties of Japanese Pumpkin
Despite the fact that the Japanese vegetable has several varieties, 2 of its varieties turned out to be more popular: Ishiki Kuri Hokkaido pumpkin and Orange Hokkaido. Both the first and second pumpkins are characterized by orange sweet flesh, a bright orange peel and a pear-shaped shape. But only the first grade is more rounded, and the second is somewhat elongated.
There is one more common feature that may have ensured high popularity for these Japanese pumpkins: the small size of Hokkaido pumpkin (Ishiki Kuri and Orange) allows you to use it as an “edible” pot for preparing a wide variety of dishes. After all, the walls of this vegetable subjected to heat treatment, as already noted above, are no less tasty than its flesh.
The benefits of Japanese pumpkin
Hokkaido belongs to the nutmeg varieties of pumpkin, which led to its composition and a positive effect on the human body. Pumpkin pulp is rich in folic acid and iron, fiber and antioxidants, calcium and magnesium, vitamins from A to E. It is no coincidence that dishes from Hokkaido are recommended for use in diseases of the heart and blood vessels, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Pumpkin boosts immunity and actively fights viruses. It slows down the general aging of the body, strengthens bones and tooth enamel. Pumpkin is no less famous for its anthelmintic properties, as well as the ability to restore male power. Plus, a small amount of Hokkaido consumed daily helps fight obesity and control weight, which makes it one of the indispensable products for dietary nutrition.
It should be noted that Japanese pumpkin, like other nutmeg varieties, has a minimum of contraindications - first of all, stomach diseases, problems with acid-base balance and diabetes mellitus - and can be introduced into the diet of children over the age of one year, as well as pregnant women.
There are several options for eating Hokkaido: it is cooked or added to dishes, for example, in salads from fresh vegetables, in raw form. Hokkaido juice is recognized as very useful, but only in moderation, from which wonderful fresh juices are made.
Hokkaido cooking features
Hokkaido pulp is dense, which makes it possible to use it for cooking not only cereals and casseroles, but also soups or toppings for pies. It is also an excellent side dish for meat and any fatty dishes, since the unique composition of the vegetable helps faster absorption of heavy foods. Japanese pumpkin is also perfect for freezing, as it does not lose shape during further processing.
Housewives and cooks around the world use Hokkaido pumpkin in their kitchens. In recipes you can find the most unusual combination of products: pumpkin and ginger, pumpkin and chili pepper, pumpkin and citrus fruits ... But the most striking thing is the abundance of a variety of dishes: from banal Hokkaido baked with sugar and butter to vegetable risotto and aromatic muffins. Here are just a few common recipes and recommendations for making pumpkin.
Hokkaido Soups
Great pumpkin soups are made from pumpkin. Both boiled and pre-baked pumpkin in the oven are equally suitable for their preparation. Here is one of the options.
Bake the pumpkin until golden brown. Fry the chopped onion head, chopped ginger and garlic in vegetable oil. Pour pumpkin and sauteed vegetables with vegetable or meat broth, add finely chopped chili peppers to taste, and boil the base for the soup for 20-25 minutes. Then grind the future soup with a blender to a puree state and again send to the fire. At this stage, the soup should be salted and seasoned with your favorite seasonings. If desired, you can add lemon juice to the finished dish. Serving the soup will help fresh greens or a few seeds of pre-fried sesame seeds, as well as some cream, which will give the creamy structure of the soup a special tenderness. A good option is to serve such a soup with meatballs or vegetables, shrimp or salmon.
Hokkaido as a part of second courses
The simplest and most famous recipe in this category is milk porridge with pumpkin. For its preparation, the Hokkaido pulp is cut into cubes or rubbed on a coarse grater, then mixed with cereal (rice, millet, oatmeal, corn or semolina are suitable) and filled with milk. Further - all that is enough for the cook’s imagination: for example, you can add dried fruits, nuts, apples, butter. Sugar will completely replace honey, and cinnamon will give a special taste and aroma.
Pumpkin porridge is cooked in an ordinary stewpan or baked in the oven - whoever loves. So, you can pre-bake a pumpkin, and pour the cereal with boiling water and leave it for 10 minutes to swell. Then put the pumpkin and cereal in layers in a baking dish, pour everything with milk - it should cover the top layer for a couple of centimeters. Top with honey or sprinkle with sugar. Slices of butter will not be superfluous - it will give the porridge a special taste and aroma. Now you can cover the form with foil and send to the oven. In about an hour, a delicious and nutritious breakfast or dinner dish that will appeal to both adults and children will be ready.
Vegetarians will love pilaf with pumpkin, apple and quince. For pasta lovers - spaghetti with ham, pumpkin and cream sauce, generously sprinkled with cheese and herbs. The taste of any gourmet and meat or vegetable manti and patties, in which Hokkaido pulp is added, will definitely satisfy.
Stuffed Pumpkin
Since Hokkaido pumpkin (photos confirm this) resembles a small pot, it is ideal for stuffing. Here is one of these recipes.
With a washed and dried pumpkin, cut off the lid. Through the cut in the upper part, remove the pulp, which is cut into cubes. Fry peeled walnuts (in a pan or in the oven), mix with chopped pumpkin pulp and grated cheese. Fill pumpkins with the resulting filling. Hokkaido cover and place on a baking sheet with water poured into it. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Another option is for meat eaters. Sauté finely chopped onion, half a chilli pepper and your favorite seasonings, such as rosemary, for 10 minutes. Then add finely chopped pork to the pan, season with salt and nutmeg. After another 15 minutes add tomato puree - grate a couple of tomatoes for this - and stew for another 5 minutes. Grate the prepared pumpkins from the inside with butter, put the filling in them and bake for about half an hour at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. Mashed potatoes are suitable for such pumpkin pots as a side dish, although the pumpkin itself may well replace the side dish.
Desserts with Hokkaido
A traditional dessert made from this vegetable is pumpkin baked in the oven with sugar or honey and butter. Although someone prefers to bake slices of Hokkaido, pre-watering them with olive oil and sprinkling with salt, pepper, spices - it turns out original and non-standard.
However, it is much better to bake an unusual cookie or pie from this vegetable.
A truly healthy Hokkaido pumpkin cookie is made according to this recipe. Grind 200 g of pumpkin pulp to a puree condition and mix with 50 g of ordinary oatmeal, 90 g of sugar or honey, 50 ml of vegetable oil. In the resulting homogeneous mass, add salt and a teaspoon of slaked soda, then flour - how much will it take to get a plastic dough. Roll out the finished dough into a thin layer, cut out cookies from it. Bake in the oven for about half an hour.
All without a trace
As already noted, the special advantages of Japanese pumpkin include its soft peel, which can not be cut during the preparation of the pulp and then eat. Hokkaido pumpkin seeds should not be thrown away. If you fry them in a frying pan or in the oven, previously sprinkled with oil and sprinkled with salt - although you can do without it - you get a delicious, rich in trace elements and healthy oils snack. According to experts, they should regularly be included in the diet of men, as they are able to beneficially affect potency. We must not forget about the anthelmintic properties that pumpkin seeds possess to a greater extent than its flesh.
Thus, the Hokkaido pumpkin, the description of which is given in this article, is a very useful, tasty, completely unpretentious vegetable in growing, storing and preparing, which should become a regular guest on the table of every person who cares about their own health and their loved ones.