Pumpkin & winter squash

In season in SW Michigan

In season

Months from the MSU Extension seasonal availability guide. Weather shifts dates a little each year.

Key nutrients

%DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4+. Values are USDA lab averages scaled to the serving; your harvest may differ.

Wellness

One cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin has about 706 mcg of vitamin A (78% DV). In plants this comes from carotenoids such as beta-carotene, which the body can turn into vitamin A. (USDA · NIH ODS) The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. (NIH ODS) Harvard's Nutrition Source notes that there is little research on the health effects of winter squash itself; its nutrients have mostly been studied one at a time. (Harvard)

Pick, store and use

• Pick

  Choose a heavy pumpkin with deep orange color and no cracks or soft spots. Small pie pumpkins are sweeter and meatier than carving pumpkins. (MSU Extension)

• Store

  Keep whole pumpkins and squash in a cool, dry place (45–50°F), not the fridge. Pumpkins keep 3–6 months, most squash up to 3. Refrigerate cut squash and use it within a week. (MSU Extension · MSU Extension)

• Use

  Scrub with a vegetable brush under running water. To save some, cook, mash and freeze it. MSU Extension advises against home-canning mashed or puréed pumpkin. (MSU Extension)

Where to get it nearby

• Bella Vista FarmFennville · Allegan Co. U-pick
• Bosserd Family FarmMarshall · Calhoun Co. U-pick
• Bumbleberry AcresSouth Haven · Van Buren Co. U-pick
• Cotant's Farm Market & GreenhouseHastings · Barry Co. U-pick
• Gull Meadow FarmsRichland · Kalamazoo Co. U-pick
• Johanson's Apple WorldBaroda · Berrien Co. U-pick

See all 31 farms with pumpkins or winter squash →

Farms whose listing mentions pumpkins or winter squash. Check with the farm before you go.