Q. Where were the first pumpkins grown?

Q. Why are pumpkins orange?

Q. Why are pumpkins associated with Halloween?

A. Using pumpkins as lanterns at Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic custom brought to America by Irish immigrants. All Hallows Eve on October 31st marked the end of the old Celtic calendar year. On that night hollowed-out turnips, beets and rutabagas with a candle inside were placed on windowsills and porches to welcome home spirits of deceased ancestors and ward off evil spirits and a restless soul called “Stingy Jack.”

Q. Is the Halloween jack o’lantern the same as a LIBBY’S pumpkin?

A. Both pumpkins are members of the squash family grown on a variety of plant named Cucurbita pepo. However, LIBBY’S pumpkins were specially developed over time and are officially named the LIBBY’S Select Dickinson pumpkin. The LIBBY’S Select Dickinson pumpkin is smaller, squatter, meatier, heavier and sweeter than the Halloween pumpkin. It has a creamy texture and fresh pure pumpkin flavor – perfect for cooking!

Q. Why do we eat pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving?

A. In 1621, at the first Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to give thanks for their first successful harvest, they ate a pumpkin custard flavored with maple syrup and spices baked in pumpkin shells. The beloved Thanksgiving pumpkin pie evolved from this treat.

Q. What is the world's biggest pumpkin pie?

A. As reported in USA Today November 2004, "The biggest pumpkin pie on record weighed 418 pounds and was made by Windsor Farmers Market and Windsor High School Culinary Arts program in California.

Ingredients
Pumpkin	12.3 Gallons
Milk	8 Gallons
Hen Eggs	224
Ostrich Eggs	2
Sugar	56 Pounds
Flour	24 Pounds
Butter	8 Pounds
Vanilla	1 Cup
Spices	207 Teaspoons
Recorded as of October 2003.
Sources: guinnessworldrecords.com and Libby's Pumpkin.

But records are meant to be broken! As of February 2006, The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes a 2020-pound pie as biggest pumpkin pie on record. It was made by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers from New Bremen, Ohio.

That’s a huge pie! The record-breaking bakers say they used Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie Recipe (with a few modifications). So if you happen to have more than 900 pounds of pumpkin lying around, you could try to set your own record! Be warned, they had help from a very supportive community. It’s not easy to come by an oven that can handle a pie that’s over twelve feet wide, much less a pan to bake it in!

Q. What state would you visit to find where LIBBY’S pumpkins grow?

A. LIBBY’S Dickinson Select pumpkins are grown exclusively in the rich farmlands around Morton, Illinois.

Q. How many acres of LIBBY’S pumpkins are planted every year?

A. Approximately 5,000 acres of Select Dickinson pumpkins are planted each year exclusively for LIBBY’S.

Q. Is the pumpkin a vegetable or a fruit?

A. Surprise! The pumpkin is actually a fruit, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants with trailing vines.

Q. How big was the largest pumpkin ever grown?

A. Gerry Checkon of Altoona, Pennsylvania grew a pumpkin weighing 1,131 pounds from Atlantic Giant seed stock on October 2, 1999.

Q. How many LIBBY’S pumpkin pies are consumed each year?

A: More than 50 million pumpkin pies are baked and consumed each year. Many other savory and delicious LIBBY’S Pumpkin recipes are enjoyed each year too.

Q. When does the LIBBY’S Pumpkin harvest begin?

A. Harvesting traditionally starts around mid-August each year and ends around the last week of October.

Q. How long does it take to pick and can LIBBY’S Pumpkin?

A: It only takes approximately 70 days to pick and can all the pumpkins. And, to ensure freshness, LIBBY’S Pumpkin is canned the same day it is harvested.