Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin
(Curcurbita pepo)
The diverse beauty of Curcurbita have earned them a special place in the hearts of many gardeners. The have architecture, color, subtlety, texture and surprise. And in that company of high pumpkin charm there is a Grace Kelly of a pumpkin. She is called “Winter Luxury Pie” or “Luxury Pie.”
Luxury Pie has a special beauty and elegance. Its orange color is set off by contrasting white netting that is both unusual and an irresistible invitation to be touched. It is a smallish pumpkin (4-5#) but it nonetheless has classic proportions. And its compact profile is brilliantly accented by a long, gracefully curved stem. In fact the stem of some Luxury Pies is so long that would make a fox envious. (N.B. Do not ever, ever pick up a pumpkin by its stem!)
Winter Luxury Pie is an American heirloom pumpkin with its origins traceable to 1893. Some have said it is a selection from pumpkins native to America. Perhaps that is so but the current strain is one that was re-selected at least once in the early 1900s by a commercial seed company.
Aside from its obvious good looks and heritage the deeper beauty of Winter Luxury Pie is found in the kitchen. (That is, of course, assuming that you can part with it stunning good looks.) Amy Goldman in her recent book, “The Complete Squash”, (a fine gift for any chef or gardener) has extolled it as her favorite eating pumpkin. Its flesh is moderately sweet, rich and very pumpkin-y. It also has a marvelous consistency.
Winter Luxury Pie have little or no commercial presence in the pumpkin market. Their small size, modest yields and somewhat delicate nature don’t seduce the guys who plant with tractors and spray chemicals. Seed can, however, be obtained through Seed Saver’s and small specialty companies.
These Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkins were grown organically in my garden in the Valley of the Moon.
C Lindquist
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