The Hokkaido belongs to the creepers and, like so many cucurbits, grows very quickly. You think you can watch the plants tendrils. However, before the pumpkin plants overgrow your garden, you can prune them without worry.
Cut back Hokkaido plant
Hokkaido vines can be pruned anytime, anywhere. It is best to prune the main shoot after the third or fifth side shoot, then the flower bases will also be higher. Don't worry, the plant won't take offense and will continue to grow steadily. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to trim the shoots; small nail scissors will suffice for young shoots. By the way, you can remove some flowers - especially the male ones. This gives the other flowers more nutrients, which they in turn can invest in the fruit sets - this way the fruit grows larger.
Flowers are edible
Don't throw away the removed flowers, they are edible! Pumpkin blossoms (just like zucchini blossoms, which also belong to the cucurbit family) can be wonderfully filled and prepared with different foods. By the way, fried pumpkin blossoms are particularly tasty. Make sure that you only use the male flowers if possible, because the fruits develop from the female flowers.
Tasty ideas with pumpkin blossoms
- Fill with sheep's or goat's cheese and bake in dough
- Fill with finely chopped fish fillet and cook in the oven
- roast or fry
- Salad made from wild herbs and (filled) pumpkin blossoms
- Linguine ai fiori di zucca (pasta with pumpkin blossom sauce)
How to cut a Hokkaido pumpkin into chunks
Cutting pumpkins into bite-sized pieces is often a feat. Even the Hokkaido pumpkin is not easy to get small. You need a very sharp knife for this and pierce it with the tip of the stalk into the pumpkin. Now cut from the base of the stem to the bottom and separate out individual slices. Remove the seeds inside and cut the flesh into small cubes. Now you can freeze the pumpkin or process it immediately.
tips and tricks
Boil the pumpkin pieces in water for 20 minutes and drain. Mash the squash into a coarse mush and freeze. You can later turn the mush into a delicious pumpkin soup in no time at all - an excellent and tasty fast food!