Pumpkin - our guide
Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes; here's our tips on how to identify each one.
Butternut Pumpkin
Deliciously sweet and nutty, butternut pumpkins have a light yellowy skin and bright orange flesh which is dry and sweet. They have an average weight of 2kg and are shaped like a bell. Butternuts are the most versatile pumpkin for cooking.
Kent Pumpkin
Also known as Jap pumpkin, they have a smooth green skin with yellow and brown patches. They have a longer growing time compared to butternut pumpkins and often weigh around 4kg. They have a sweet flavour and are good in salads and quiches.
Grey Pumpkin
With an average weight of 5-7kg, grey or ‘Queensland Blue’ pumpkins are on the larger end of the Australian pumpkin scale, with orange sweet flesh. They have a bluey-grey, smooth skin and ribbed shape.
Jarrahdale Pumpkin
Jarrahdales are very similar to Grey but are less ribbed and slightly smaller, weighing in at an average of 5kg. They have gorgeous orange flesh and sweet flavour.
Kabocha Pumpkin
With dark green, bumpy skin, this pumpkin is easily identifiable amongst its relatives. Much smaller than Kent, they have an average weight of 2kg. Kabochas have a dryer, nutty flesh which benefits from leaving the skin on and covering with foil when roasting to prevent drying out.
When choosing your pumpkin, look out for even colouring, tough skin and firmness at the stem. The heavier the better when it comes to pumpkins. If the pumpkin is pre-cut, bright orange flesh and nutty aromas are indicators of a great piece of pumpkin.
