Hokkaido pumpkins are very popular. But what if the Hokkaido has green spots. Is the pumpkin unripe, poisonous or is everything not so bad and the vegetables are still edible?
Table of Contents
Green spots on the shell
If an actually ripe, orange Hokkaido (Cucurbita maxima) has green spots on the skin, especially in the area of the stem and on the lower part in the area of the fallen flower, then this is nothing unusual. The fruit is on the verge of optimal ripeness, but is then often already picked for the trade. Fruits in which the skin remains green in these areas can usually be purchased. Nevertheless, the following should be noted here:
- green color on the outside continues to the inside
- Flesh probably blotchy
- can be consumed
- When buying or harvesting, pay attention to the turgid orange peel
- the more orange the skin, the less green the flesh
Peel unripe Hokkaido
Hokkaido don’t need to be peeled to eat. This is a variety where the skin can be eaten as it is not as hard as other varieties. Nevertheless, there are situations in which peeling is better:
- Fruit is still very immature
- Shell still green all around
- then it’s very hard
- Flesh less mealy
- not convincing in taste
- however, it is safe to consume
time of maturity
Those who grow the Hokkaido themselves can harvest from September to December . The pumpkins are available on supermarket shelves and at the weekly market at around the same time. When harvesting, the following should be observed:
- only harvest really ripe pumpkins
- extends the storage time
- unripe fruits are difficult to store
- Harvest time depends on the climate
- weather during the year also plays a major role
- requires a lot of heat
- like water from below
- Rain can delay the ripening period
- some fruits do not fully ripen at all
Green spots in the flesh
Even if the Hokkaido appears ripe from the outside, small green spots can definitely be seen in the orange flesh. The question that now arises is whether this is edible or not. But unlike potatoes, for example, where the green parts are poisonous, this is not the case with pumpkins:
- green under the shell
- still slightly immature
- or small spots spread throughout the flesh
- still edible
- Simply boil the green pulp with it
frequently asked Questions
The pumpkin sounds hollow, if you tap the outer skin with your finger and the fruit stalk has dried up, then the Hokkaido is ripe. In addition, it should have a soft skin, which is usually colored orange-red.
Since it is recommended not to expose the pumpkins to frost in autumn and winter, some fruits are harvested when they are still unripe and stored in a dry room at 20° Celsius. Here the fruits can fully ripen and do not lose their quality. However, it can always be the case that one or the other spot inside or outside still remains green. However, if the fruit is orange overall with a few spots, you can assume that it is ripe overall.
Gray or green colored Hokkaido are popular, especially in Japan. These varieties are rather unusual here. But they are just as tasty and the flesh is similar to the orange pumpkin that is known here.
