How, apart from color, does a white pumpkin differ from the rest?
We are used to seeing the most common varieties of pumpkin in the markets, green, yellow or orange. Is there a white pumpkin? As it happens, and has long been popular all over the world.
Exotic southerner takes pride of place among other varieties. It has a lot of useful properties and has an unusual appearance. In this article we will tell you about the cultivation and characteristics of white varieties.
The content of the article
Classification of pumpkin varieties
There are so many pumpkin varieties that you can simply get confused in them. They help to systematize knowledge about melons classifications based on plant characteristics:
Appearance: the size of leaves, branches and cuttings, the shape of the fruit, the color and thickness of the peel, the color of the pulp, the type of seeds (in the shell or without).- Plant characteristics: ripening rate, yield, storage duration, resistance to pests and environmental conditions.
- Taste properties: sweetness and structure of the pulp.
According to their external characteristics, the varieties are divided into:
- spray (Freckle, Amazon);
- medium-sized (Russian, Altai);
- long-leaved (Almond, Dawn).
Low temperature resistance:
- cold-resistant (Adagio, Sweetie);
- heat-loving (Volzhskaya gray, Kroshka);
- for a temperate climatic zone (Smile, Freckle);
- late ripeness (Atlant, Hundred pounds).
By appointment:
- stern (Record, Titan);
- dining room (Sweetie, Gribovskaya winter);
- decorative (Baby Boo, Little Orange);
- universal (one hundred pound, vitamin).
Most table varieties are suitable for cooking pumpkin juice, soups, baby food puree, salads and cereals. The fruits are baked, stuffed, stewed.
Ornamental varieties have a fancy shape and unusual color.... Most often they are used as decoration and are not eaten.
Varieties according to the hardness of the peel and the size of the vegetable are divided into:
- large-fruited (round-shaped fruits, weighing about 20 kg, with a soft crust);
- nutmeg (pumpkins of a cylindrical or round shape, with a soft skin, stored for a long time, the pulp contains polysaccharides and vitamin A);
- hard (fruits with a dense skin, round or cylindrical shape, long shelf life).
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Distinctive features of the white pumpkin
These melon varieties have several names.: white, winter or waxy gourd. Their place of origin is the island of Java. Later, the plant appeared in China and Japan, from where it migrated to other countries of the world.
The main difference between this culture and other varieties is the white color of the peel.... The color of the pulp, depending on the variety, is white and yellow. The plant has long and dense stems that grow rapidly, especially on fertilized soil.
The peel of Benincasa fruit at the beginning of growth has a green tint, but as it ripens, a waxy coating of white with a bluish tint appears on the surface. The peel contains a large amount of vitamins, pectins, micro- and macroelements. The fruits have an oval or round shape, are stored for a long time and do not lose their taste and useful properties. The length reaches 60 cm, but the weight of the fruit rarely exceeds 10 kg.
The photo shows what shape and bloom the pumpkin has on the crust.
The pulp of white pumpkin is juicy, moderately sweet, not cloying... The fruits are stored for 2-3 years under favorable conditions.Bakhchu is used to prepare various dishes, in traditional medicine recipes and as a decor for a summer residence.
Reference. The more ripe the Benincasa pumpkin, the denser the wax coating, which acts as a protection against moisture loss.
Growing features
The best time to plant vegetables is March or the first week of April... Seeds are planted without presoaking in peat cups, two pieces each. After the sprouts get stronger, the plant is moved to open ground in mid-May. White pumpkin varieties are planted in an open sunny area in soil that is not oversaturated with fertilizers.
The plant is thermophilic, does not tolerate shade and even partial shade... As they grow, excess shoots are cut off so that large, fleshy fruits are formed.
Only warm water is used for irrigation... From time to time, the plant is fed with compost. The variety tolerates drought well. Fruits begin to be harvested in late September - early October, along with the stalk.
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Characteristics of the white pumpkin:
- The length of the stem reaches 3-4 m. As it grows, it quickly clings to the vertical column with its antennae.
- The leaves grow large.
- The flowers are bright, heterosexual. Emit a strong odor that attracts insects.
- The plant is not pollinated with other varieties, so there is no need to plant in isolation.
Most popular varieties
One of the most popular varieties is Benincasa... Fruit weight varies from 3 to 25 kg. The shape is round or oval. The vegetable is characterized by a pleasant sweet taste. The pulp is white, the rind is dark green, covered with a waxy white bloom. A distinctive feature of the variety - young pumpkins are much sweeter than ripe fruits, they have a pronounced taste. The buds and leaves of the plant are used for food. The calorie content of the vegetable is only 15 kcal / 100 g. Fruits are 95% water, contain saturated acids, polysaccharides, ash and fiber.
More rare white gourds include varieties Cusho white, Acorn white, Batat from Tennessee, Fortuna, Bely Bor, Valenciano.
Cusho variety white managed to win the trust of Russian gardeners. The vegetable has a lot of advantages and useful properties. The fruits resemble a pear in appearance, have a dense white rind with a greenish tint. It is sometimes difficult to determine by taste whether it is a pumpkin or a vegetable marrow. The pulp is light, sweetish in taste. The fruits are fried instead of potatoes.
White acorn variety (pictured) ripens early. Fruits are medium-sized, round, weighing about 1 kg. The skin color ranges from white to cream. The pulp does not have a recognizable pumpkin flavor, practically does not contain carotenoids and polysaccharides. Therefore, it has no sweetness, it tastes like potatoes, but with a less dense structure. It is characterized by a long shelf life. The longer the fruit is stored, the denser the crust becomes.
The size of the pumpkins is very convenient - portioned. The fruits are used for stuffing, frying, added to soups, baked and stewed with spices.
Conclusion
Each variety of white pumpkin is interesting in its own way and has distinctive features. Moderately sweet pulp and neutral taste will appeal to those who monitor weight and are looking for an alternative to high-calorie potatoes. The dense crust and waxy coating will allow the fruits to be stored for a long time and used as food as needed.