The harvest began in mid-August, due to the summery weather, and was already finished at the beginning of September. Even the sales season started earlier, namely in mid-August. Now, in the autumn, the pumpkins are once again experiencing great sales. They can be found everywhere in the supermarkets and in farm shops, on the weekly markets and in restaurants. Most of the pumpkins are marketed directly in Schleswig-Holstein.
The supermarket price of the classic Hokkaido and Butternut Gourds is currently between 1 and 2 euros per kg.
The Hokkaido and Butternut are particularly popular because of their fine sweet and nutty taste. They are an indispensable part of the kitchen and of restaurant menus.
In agriculture, many direct marketers rely on their own cultivation. This was reason for the Chamber of Agriculture to examine some pumpkin varieties on their cultivation properties. The Hokkaido varieties, in particular the Orange Summer variety, was very convincing and profitable. The butternut variety Sibille had lower yields, as it is particularly susceptible to disease. It looks great and has a high pulp content. For the consumer, Hokkaido gourds and butternut squash are interesting because they can be processed with peel and all.
Unfortunately, the current figures for 2018 are not yet available. Due to the weather, the acreage is larger than in the wetter year of 2017 (2017: 67.5 ha and yield 139.8 dt/ha). In 2016, according to Statistics Office North it was 94 ha and about a 208 dt/ha yield on average. Since 2007, the acreage has risen steadily (53 ha and yield 333.5 dt/ha). However, today pumpkins are still a niche product, with less than 100 ha under cultivation.
On the basis of data from the Statisktikamt we can see that over time, around 2012 there was a change in varieties within pumpkin cultivation. Growers turned towards smaller, less heavy, kitchen-ready varieties like the Hokkaido and away from the "Centner Pumpkins" that were mainly used for making canned goods. Falling average yields and comments from pumpkin growers confirm this. The lower yields in 2017, however, were only due to the wet weather. Such low yields had never occurred. The sunny year of 2018, made for much better pumpkin yields, assuming there was enough water for irrigation.
Most of the approximately 800 different pumpkin varieties worldwide are edible. They are easy to store, but they do not tolerate frost. It is important that the pumpkin is stored cool and dry at 10o to 15°C. That way, consumers can eat them well beyond the autumn and into the winter.
