Pumpkins are good for more than just Halloween decorations

Sales of edible pumpkins are on the rise, and more varieties are now being cultivated in Norway. Some taste sweet, almost like caramel, while others have flavours that resemble butter or broth.

In the evaluation, assessors examined each pumpkin's appearance, shape, weight, taste, texture, and smell.

The varieties evaluated were:

• Rouge vif d’etampes
• Yellow Marrow
• Sweet Mama Hokkaido
• Uchiki Kuri Hokkaido
• Crown Prince
• Halloween
• Butternut 

How the test was carried out

All the pumpkins were sourced from Haneborg Farm.

First, the assessors examined the whole pumpkins raw. Then, each was halved and baked in the oven for 30 minutes with the cut side facing down.

“This resulted in well-baked pumpkins where the natural flavour came through clearly,” says project manager Gard Wigdahl Karlsnes at Nofima.

Decorate first, eat later

Pumpkins can serve as decorative symbols of autumn and harvest, representing the transition from summer to winter and the celebration of natural food enjoyment.

Large, flat Cinderella pumpkins with red and orange ‘segments’ give a clear autumn feel, while the Crown Prince variety provides a softer, elegant touch with its pale green, textured skin. 

The elongated Yellow Marrow and pear-shaped Butternut add variety to an arrangement. The round, compact Sweet Mama, Uchiki Kuri, and small Halloween pumpkins add colour contrasts, either grouped or on their own.

As Halloween pumpkins grow, their hollow centre expands. That’s why people use them to carve scary faces and other designs for Halloween.

Thanks to their long shelf life, pumpkins are easily repurposed once they have completed their decorative purposes. Bake them, cook them, or freeze them in smaller pieces for later use. This prevents food waste and makes them more convenient to use.

Pumpkins in stews, soups, or pies

Nofima’s sensory assessors have documented differences among the seven varieties.

“Cinderella Rouge vif d’etampes, Sweet Mama Hokkaido, and Crown Prince all have a sweet character and a drier, firmer texture. This means they hold their structure well in dishes such as stews or bakes, where they can replace or complement meat,” explains Karlsnes.

Cinderella Rouge vif d’etampes has notes of carrot and sweet potato. Sweet Mama offers earthy notes, while Crown Prince brings a subtle fruit and berry nuance to its gentle sweetness.

“For pumpkin pies, soups, or purées, it’s better to choose varieties like Butternut, Uchiki Kuri Hokkaido, Yellow Marrow, or the traditional Halloween pumpkin. They are softer, more succulent, and easier to mash – releasing moisture and developing a creamy consistency,” says Karlsnes.

Butternut has a sweet flavour with hints of root vegetables and nuts, while Uchiki Kuri is buttery and aromatic.

Yellow Marrow is mild with honey and caramel tones, while Halloween pumpkins have an earthy sweetness with broth-like notes.

A promising future for norwegian pumpkins

Accurate sensory descriptions give producers a new language for promoting their pumpkins. Moving beyond simple terms such as ‘sweet’ and ‘nutty’ helps customers identify the right variety for specific uses. 

Sales are already expanding beyond the Halloween season, and clearer product descriptions could accelerate this trend.

With warmer temperatures and a longer growing season, Norway may soon support an even wider range of pumpkin varieties. 

Farmers and home growers alike are increasingly discovering the vegetable’s versatility.

One particular type is popular among Asian customers

Haneborg Farm is one of the farms leading this development. 

Farmer Ole Martin Tomter has cultivated pumpkins for 15 years, and his selection has expanded in step with increasing demand.

“This year, we sold pumpkins worth around NOK 650,000 – and we could have sold far more if production had been higher,” he says. 

He explains that social media can quickly influence sales. When a customer shared a photo of the Sweet Mama pumpkin, Asian customers flocked to the farm the next day. 

Many consumers with foreign backgrounds have distinct preferences: Sweet Mama is popular among Asian customers, while Crown Prince is favoured by Eastern Europeans.

Haneborg Farm also grows many other vegetables. Each autumn, customers can choose from around 60 varieties, with several available for direct picking during the self-harvest season.

New method may offer a competitive edge

In testing the new sensory ethnographic method, Nofima’s sensory assessors visited Haneborg Farm with senior scientist Ragnhild Eg. 

She is part of the team refining this innovative sensory approach, which encompasses the sensory experience of food – not just flavour, but also sound, sight, and touch.

“The assessors used the method to describe their first impressions of the pumpkins – how they looked, how heavy and rough they felt in the hand, and which aromas could be sniffed from the skin and stem,” Eg explains.

Easier for farmers to market their products

After this, the assessors evaluated the same pumpkins again, focusing on what they could see, smell, and taste after they were baked. The team also explored the farm and its surrounding fields to map all sensory impressions from the environment where the food comes from.

Sensory ethnography provides both producers and consumers with a more nuanced language to describe and select pumpkins. The descriptions of the surroundings can help convey the product's origin and authenticity. 

For producers, this offers stronger marketing potential. And for customers, it makes it easier to find the variety that matches their needs.

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Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

This content is paid for and presented by Nofima The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research

This content is created by Nofima's communication staff, who use this platform to communicate science and share results from research with the public. Nofima is one of more than 80 owners of ScienceNorway.no. Read more here.

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