I love those nutty Japanese "kabocha" winter squashes and I've got 6 plants of 3 different varieties on the go this year.This is now one of them looked yesterday.
(http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5326/mykitchengarden0156eg.th.jpg) (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mykitchengarden0156eg.jpg)
I'm growing a kabocha type - I think it's Marina di Chioggia. I got loads of seed from Loz and have shared them out with my plotty mate so between us we hope for a pumpkin fest in October time. We've got Marinas, Grey Crown, Crown Prince, Jumbo Pink Banana, Sweet Mama, Uchiki Kuri, Winter Festival, Autumn sommat or other, Blue Hubbard. My lotty mate never ate pumpkin til I made him some soup from the flesh he was discarding after making lanterns. He's been growing them for some years but never dreamt of eating them. He's now a convert ;D
Wow!Wardy,You've got such a big collection of kabochas between you!Can I ask where your site is? ;D ;D ;D
Well done you for converting your fellow lotty into a pumpkin fan.Well,I love Kabochas for the nuttiness&sweetness but I've never tried any other types of pumpkins. Are they as nice?
By the way,what's Jumbo Pink Banana???It's something that I've never heard of....
I've got to watch out for pumpkin thieves.Someone at my site has told me that pumpkins could disappear over night!
KT My lotty is in N Derbyshire :) Pumpkins are beginning to romp but I forgot I put a plastic cloche over one of them and it's probably fried by now :o My mate is growing the Jumbo Pink Banana (ta Loz) from the seedling I gave him as he's better at growing than me. I'm told the Blue Hubbard is great tasting and apparently so is the Uchiki Kuri and Marina di Chioggia. Won't know til tasting time later in the year ;D We hope to have some to sell at our plant fayre in October :)
I will take some pics when I find out how to post them as I keep getting error messages. Grrrrr >:(
Hi Wardy.
My uchiki Kuri is like this at the moment.It certainly is very tasty."Kuri" in Japanese means "sweet chestnut" so probably you can imagine the nutty flavour.
(http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/4593/copyofmykitchengarden0014rg.th.jpg) (http://img351.imageshack.us/my.php?image=copyofmykitchengarden0014rg.jpg)
Here's a Sweet Mama. Photo took last night on the plot.Â
The other squash seems to have lost its label
but I think it might be Blue Hubbard - not sure though :)
Hi Wardy
That bottom one looks suspiciously like butternut.
KT , my uchiki kuris are actually going orange now - lovely (sounds like a nasty ailment though ;D)
Loz
Loz Ta very much for the swops - me and my lotty pal are having great fun with them. Just like big kids we are when we discover yet another one ;D
I call the Uchiki Kuri "you cheeky" :) They're looking good and I think they're going to be dead tasty :)
Uchi koochy?
or itchy kitty? ;D
(Sorry couldnt resist) ::)
Loz
Hi,wardy.I love your pics.Nice wigwam! ;D
Loz,my uchiki Kuris are yellowish orange,too.So it's normal,
is it?When they were smaller,I thought something was wrong with them :-[
A beautiful orange yellow colour. They're in the group called onion squashes cos of their shape. I think they're meant to be eaten when just about swede size. We'll have to do taste tests :)
Cant wait to taste ;D
Loz
Absolutely!
My beauties yesterday↓
Uchiki Kuri
(http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/562/mykitchengarden0103hh.th.jpg) (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mykitchengarden0103hh.jpg)
Kabocha
(http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/7312/mykitchengarden0062vq.th.jpg) (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mykitchengarden0062vq.jpg)
KT None of my uchicki's are as advanced as that! They're supposed to be delicious - looks like you'll be eating yours before me. Snot fair ;D The sweet mama's I've got going are kabocha types and they're looking good.
A lotty mate cut a squash for me but I'm ripening it off a bit before I eat it. I think it's going to be my first pumpkin soup of the year :)