The Hokkaido is a creeping plant and, like so many cucurbits, grows very quickly. You think you can watch the plants grow. However, before the pumpkin plants start to overgrow your garden, you can prune them without worry.
How to properly cut a Hokkaido pumpkin?
Answer: To cut a Hokkaido pumpkin into pieces, use a sharp knife, pierce it at the base of the stem and cut all the way to the bottom. Cut out wedges, remove the seeds and cut the pulp into cubes.
Cutting back Hokkaido plant
Hokkaido vines can be pruned anytime, anywhere. It is best to prune the main shoot after the third or fifth secondary shoot, then the flower heads will also be higher. Don't worry, the plant won't take offense and will continue to grow steadily. Use a sharp knife or secateurs to trim the shoots; small nail scissors are sufficient for young shoots. By the way, you can remove some flowers - especially the male ones. This gives the other flowers more nutrients, which they can then invest in the fruit bases - this way the fruits become larger.
Flowers are edible
Do not throw away the removed flowers as they are edible! Pumpkin blossoms (as well as zucchini blossoms, which also belong to the pumpkin family) can be wonderfully filled and prepared with different foods. By the way, fried pumpkin blossoms are particularly tasty. Make sure to only use the male flowers if possible, as the fruits develop from the female ones.
Delicious ideas with pumpkin blossoms
- fill with sheep or goat cheese and bake in dough
- Fill with finely chopped fish fillet and cook in the oven
- fry or deep-fry
- Salad made from wild herbs and (filled) pumpkin blossoms
- Liguine ai fiori di zucca (pasta with pumpkin blossom sauce)
How to cut a Hokkaido pumpkin into pieces
Cutting pumpkins into bite-sized pieces is often a laborious task. The Hokkaido pumpkin is also not easy to cut down. To do this, you need a very sharp knife and insert the tip into the pumpkin at the base of the stem. Now cut from the base of the stem to the bottom and separate out individual pieces. Remove the seeds inside and cut the pulp into small cubes. Now you can freeze the pumpkin or process it straight away.
Tips & Tricks
Boil the pumpkin pieces in water for 20 minutes and drain. Mash the pumpkin into a coarse puree and freeze it. You can later process the puree into a delicious pumpkin soup in no time at all - an excellent and tasty fast food!