Tennessee sweet potato pumpkin… Big Food, Big Garden, Big Life

It’s the biggest one (12 oz. glass for scale).

or something like that. There’s conflicting information on the world-wide web about its proper common name, but according to New Hope Seed Company, where I got the seed, it

was always listed as a pumpkin its [sic] actually more of a winter squash. … is said to have first been listed in 1847 by New York seedsman Grant Thorburn as Green Striped Bell and most likely re-named by Burpee in 1883 to Tennessee Sweet Potato.

This particular one weighs in at 18 pounds. All told, three plants yielded seven squash, ranging in size from the one pictured to about half that. We have already baked one, basting it frequently with butter. When it was done, we cut it into cubes and froze it (after taking a taste).

And that is one of the things I like most about winter squash! If cured properly, healthy winter squash store well in a basement or cool room for six to nine months; there’s no need to process the pulp until you’re ready to eat it. I cured the one we froze properly, but it wasn’t perfect. It had a bad spot. Most veggies that have problems while still on the vine need to be plucked off and composted/thrown away. But winter squash can be salvaged simply by harvesting as usual, cutting out the bad spot, and eating or freezing.

The other squash in the photo are sugar pie pumpkin, and spaghetti squash. No, that’s not a bad spot on the left spaghetti squash. It’s just discoloration. As Ann Atlhouse’s tomatoes remind us, “… your flaws get counted as beautiful.” Shouldn’t that be, “as beauty?”

A few comments about New Hope Seed Company, located just north of Memphis. They do not have a wide variety of veggies. But if you want heirloom and open pollinated seeds for a Southern climate, they can’t be beat. And their customer service is incredible. On my order last January, I commented that I was disappointed to see that their crop of Old Tennessee Muskmelon had failed, hence seeds were not available. We had really enjoyed it the year before. Their description:

A very old variety. It has been dropped from commercial catalogs, is rare and seems to be near extinction. The fruits weigh an average of 12 pounds, are 12 to 16 inches in length, and are elliptical or football-shaped. Our family has grown this melon for well over 50 years. This is my personal favorite muskmelon. They must be picked at the peak of ripeness, when the fruit has turned a golden-yellow and they easily slip from vine. They should be dead ripe for the best taste. They do not keep very long. Sweet aroma that will carry over a long distance. Definitely not a shipping melon.” This is a garden-to-table melon.

And what did I get in my seed order? A packet of Old Tennessee Muskmelon seeds, and a handwritten note. Talk about Big Life!