"Janet B." > wrote in message
...
>
> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> On Oct 7, 11:54?am, "Janet B." > wrote:
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>>
>>> ...
>>> snip> The pumpkin can be used to make soup (heh, canned pumpkin is
>>> readily
>>> > available and better by far than the pumpkins sold for display). The
>>>
>>> snip
>>> That's because the pumpkins sold at the store are probably Jack
>>> O'Lantern
>>> pumpkins and not pie pumpkins. Although in recent years pumpkins are
>>> available that are multi-purpose. Jack O'Lantern pumpkins are stringy
>>> and
>>> watery. Pie pumpkins are sweeter, meatier, generally smaller and are
>>> more
>>> like butternut squash. In my area, if a pumpkin is a pie pumpkin, the
>>> grocer labels it as such and it is more expensive than the other
>>> pumpkins.
>>
>> Most commercial pumpkin pie is made with butternut squash, technically
>> it's a pumpkin.
>>
>> Most any pumpkin is a pie pumpkin and and a jack o' lantern pumpkin,
>> there is no difference other than size appearence. People buy the
>> small pumpkins for pie because what is someone going to do with a 20
>> pounder, more than enough for a dozen pies, or a hundred pounder.
>>
>> This same question arises most every year... go to the burpee.com web
>> site.
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/2esdgo
>>
>> http://www.burpee.com/product/vegeta...rrivals&page=1
>>
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Peter_Pumpkin_Eater
>>
>> Sheldon
>>
> That's why I said multi-purpose pumpkins were available in recent years.
> If you had ever used Jack O'Lantern pumpkins in the 'olden days' for pies,
> you would know what I mean. The reason the seed catalogs differentiate as
> to pie quality, is so that gardeners will know for sure that they are
> getting suitable seeds.
> Janet

Around where I live, here in Shenandoah Valley, VA, when you go to the
Farmers' Markets, the pie pumpkins and the Jack O'Lantern pumpkins are
segregated.
Dee Dee