Day 35: Ghost Pumpkins

I would like to introduce you to a particularly creepy up-and-comer of the Halloween season: the ghost pumpkin!

Or two ghost pumpkins in this case.

First off, I would like to dedicate today's post to Scarlett R. Algee who was the one who initially sparked my interest in these strange squashes. Her story, "Hattie's Ghosts," in A Shadow of Autumn spotlights white pumpkins, and to be honest, I haven't stopped thinking about them ever since. Where do they come from? What's their deal anyway?

Lurk, ghost pumpkin! Lurk!

Since this is Tasty Tuesday, after all, it is worth noting that like their orange brethren, white pumpkins are indeed edible. That being said, word on the Halloween street is that white pumpkins aren't very tasty. That's somewhat expected since they're closer to Jack O' Lantern pumpkins than pie pumpkins, and regular carvers aren't exactly known for their flavor. That's why you stab them. To get back at them for being so darn bland. I will say, however, that I myself have never sampled white pumpkins; I only learned about their lackluster flavor from the internet, and since the internet lies, who knows? Maybe white pumpkins aren't edible at all. Maybe they're filled with razorblades.

A pumpkin criminal lineup. Which one is the evil razorblade perpetrator?

There are a number of varieties of white pumpkins, including cotton candy, full moon, lumina, silver moon, and of course, baby boo, which as the name implies is both spooky and small. Aww! Cute little white pumpkins!

Prior to the aughties (you know, the 00s, that recent decade that never got a proper name), most people hadn't heard of white pumpkins. Then Martha Stewart made one look super classy in her magazine, and suddenly, everyone thinks they too can corral a white pumpkin and dress it up like some Halloween version of Cinderella. A rags-to-carving story, huh? But maybe white pumpkins don't want to be part of your chic wedding decor. Maybe white pumpkins want to roam free in gardens and work on self-actualizing their own needs in this crazy pumpkin-eat-pumpkin world. Did you ever think of that?

Of course you never thought of that. You're a selfish pumpkin hater, after all.

Basically, other than "ghost" pumpkins looking like Bunnicula raided the pumpkin patch, they're pretty much the same as orange pumpkins. From what I've gathered, they grow in the same areas and have been around for about as long. In the early days of America, the strange color must have scared everyone away, and that's why they didn't become more popular before now. That, and their horrible flavor. Well, you might be late to the party, but the 60 Days of Halloween would like to welcome you, ghost pumpkins, to the festive decor of the season. Glad to meet you!

That's it for today! Head on back tomorrow for more Halloween fun! The ghost pumpkins demand you to revel! REVEL!!!!