• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • AndrĂ©s Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Are pumpkin leaves edible?

 
master pollinator
Posts: 5221
Location: Due to winter mortality, I stubbornly state, zone 7a Tennessee
2209
7
forest garden foraging books food preservation cooking fiber arts bee medical herbs
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The answer seems to be yes. But which ones? Pumpkins are so named because of their shape, not scientific at all. So would all squash leaves be edible? I find this unlikely as there are bitter wild squashes that are toxic.

A pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash that is round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and most often deep yellow to orange in coloration.[1] The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. The name is most commonly used for cultivars of Cucurbita pepo, but some cultivars of Cucurbita maxima, C. argyrosperma, and C. moschata with similar appearance are also sometimes called "pumpkin".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin

I have also seen second-hand references to selling and eating edible gourd vines ends. But again, which ones are safe?

What do you think?
 
pollinator
Posts: 2339
Location: Denmark 57N
600
fungi foraging trees cooking food preservation
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The toxin is the chemical that makes it taste bitter, so if it's not bitter it's edible (when talking about pumpkins/squashes) I would assume that  any edible squash/pumpkin is going to have edible leaves, some may be nicer than others of course and there are certain varieties grown specifically for the tips.
 
Joylynn Hardesty
master pollinator
Posts: 5221
Location: Due to winter mortality, I stubbornly state, zone 7a Tennessee
2209
7
forest garden foraging books food preservation cooking fiber arts bee medical herbs
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Skandi Rogers wrote:...there are certain varieties grown specifically for the tips.



Do you know any of the varietal names?
 
Skandi Rogers
pollinator
Posts: 2339
Location: Denmark 57N
600
fungi foraging trees cooking food preservation
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:

Skandi Rogers wrote:...there are certain varieties grown specifically for the tips.



Do you know any of the varietal names?



I can't find the discussion on FB where people suggested some, the only memory I have is that they are called "Munta" (pumpkin shoots are called that) in Nepal. so any specific type would come from there.
 
gardener & hugelmaster
Posts: 3805
Location: Texas
2082
cattle hugelkultur cat dog trees hunting chicken bee woodworking homestead ungarbage
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I grow Seminole pumpkins. The leaves are edible but not especially tasty. Maybe there's a way to cook them that makes them better. I think small immature pumpkins are completely awesome though. Cook them like potatoes. Boiled, baked, fried. Yum.
 
gardener
Posts: 2564
Location: Ladakh, Indian Himalayas at 10,500 feet, zone 5
890
trees food preservation solar greening the desert
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
While looking at a very exotic plant here (it was a zucchini), a friend from Orissa in Eastern India told me they grow that, and yes, they eat the leaves. He seemed to say that they grind it on the big wide stone they use for grinding spices and other food there.
Stone-grinder-with-Roller.jpg
[Thumbnail for Stone-grinder-with-Roller.jpg]
 
pollinator
Posts: 509
Location: Boudamasa, Chad
143
2
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Sometimes I grow squash for the leaves alone! Chopped up in a stew or soup adds a fairly complex vegetable flavor. Any kind of squash.
 
The harder I work, the luckier I get. -Sam Goldwyn tiny ad:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic