Mellow Yellow Pumpkins
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Mellow Yellow pumpkins average around 25 to 27 centimeters wide and 30 to 60 centimeters tall. They are a medium-sized variety that typically weighs between 5 and 10 kilograms. These pumpkins have a rounded blocky ovate shape with prominent vertical ribbing. Their rind is uniform, smooth, and slightly shiny with a light butter yellow or yellow-orange color. This rind connects to a straight brown-green stem that has a rough texture. The pumpkins have a thick white-yellow flesh that’s dense, firm, and crisp. Encased in this flesh is a central cavity filled with stringy pale-yellow pulp and oval cream-colored seeds. Mellow Yellow pumpkins develop a tender consistency when cooked and have a mild, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Mellow Yellow pumpkins are available from fall to early winter.
Current Facts
Mellow Yellow pumpkins are botanically classified as Cucurbita pepo and belong to the Cucurbitaceae family that contains 975 species of edible and ornamental plants including gourds, melons, squashes, and cucumbers. Mellow Yellow pumpkins are a hybrid winter squash that’s bred for their uniform shape and yellow rind. They grow on trailing vines that reach between 2.5 to 4.5 meters long. These vines have light green fine-teethed leaves and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. This variety is primarily used as an ornamental decoration that’s paired with other white and orange pumpkins in fall displays or carved into jack-o-lanterns during Halloween. Mellow Yellow pumpkins can also be used in cooked applications mainly for baking. They are technically classified as fruits due to their seeds but in culinary contexts are often referred to and used as vegetables.
Nutritional Value
Mellow Yellow pumpkins are high in vitamin A which is crucial for maintaining healthy vision, supporting immune function, and promoting skin health. The presence of B vitamins in these pumpkins aids in energy metabolism and supports brain health. This variety contains vitamin C to help protect the body from oxidative stress and enhance collagen production for skin integrity. Mellow Yellow pumpkins also provide dietary fiber essential for digestive health and regulating blood sugar levels. Their copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, and magnesium content contributes to bone health, muscle function, and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Applications
Mellow Yellow pumpkins are best suited for cooked applications such as baking, roasting, simmering, and grilling. Their flesh can be sliced and roasted as an accompaniment to cooked meats. They are frequently baked into casseroles, stirred into risotto and pasta, or diced and tossed into soups, stews, and chilis. Mellow Yellow pumpkin’s mild flavor works well when turned into a purée or butter, blended into hummus, or incorporated into baked goods such as cupcakes, pies, breads, muffins, and cakes. Their seeds are also edible and may be cleaned, lightly salted, and roasted for a crunchy snack or tossed into green salads and grain bowls. This variety pairs well with fennel, ginger, beans, rice, chicken, turkey, mushrooms, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds. They also are complimented by spices like vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mellow Yellow pumpkins will keep for 2 to 3 months when stored in a cool and dark place.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Mellow Yellow was one of the first yellow pumpkins developed by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. This variety was the result of years of research and selective breeding led by researcher Brent Loy. The Experiment station has created over seventy new varieties of pumpkins, gourds, squash, and melons and is considered the longest-running breeding program in North America. Conducting field trials through the Macfarlane Research Farm, the Kingman Research Farm, and the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm, Loy intentionally developed varieties with high yields and improved resistance to diseases such as powdery mildew. He looks for unusual qualities to make the new varieties unique and appealing in the market.
Geography/History
Mellow Yellow pumpkins were created by breeder and researcher Brent Loy at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station in Durham, New Hampshire, and were released to the public in 2019. They grow in temperate to warm climates with high sun exposure, well-drained soils, and temperatures between 21 and 29 degrees Celcius. These hybrid pumpkins are cultivated on commercial farms and in home gardens. They were one of the many hybrid varieties created by the University of New Hampshire’s breeding program to have improved resistance to powdery mildew and better yield. They grew in popularity for their unique yellow color that pairs well with other distinctively colored pumpkins as Halloween decor. Mellow Yellow pumpkins are primarily found at farms and farmers' markets in the United States. They may be occasionally sourced from major grocery stores during the fall or purchased through online seed catalogs and from nurseries for home garden use.
