A gray-blue pumpkin on a porch always gets a second look. The color seems unlikely for a pumpkin, but these varieties have been grown for generations, and several are prized in the kitchen as much as on the steps. Here is what gives them their color, which varieties you are likely to see, and how to use them.
Are blue pumpkins really blue?
Not exactly. A Plant of the Week column from the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service calls Jarrahdale gray, adding that some people see it as a funky shade of blue. The column suggests the color may come from pigments called pheophytins, which can form as chlorophyll breaks down late in the season. Either way, the color is natural.
Jarrahdale
Jarrahdale is the best-known blue pumpkin. The Arkansas column says it is named for a small town in Western Australia about an hour south of Perth, and that no one seems to know exactly how or when it was developed. The agriculture department of Western Australia describes the Jarrahdale type as a selection from Queensland Blue, while one garden writer quoted in the Arkansas column suggests a cross of Blue Hubbard and Cinderella. University of Georgia Extension horticulturist Terry Kelley described Jarrahdale as grayish blue, deeply ribbed and somewhat flat. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds lists the fruit at 6 to 10 pounds.
Queensland Blue and its relatives
Queensland Blue is an Australian heirloom. Seed Savers Exchange says it was imported into the United States in 1932 from Arthur Yates and Company of Sydney, and describes a dark blue-green ribbed rind with brilliant orange flesh. The food reference CooksInfo calls it boxy, with heavy ribbing and a greenish or grayish blue rind. Blue Hubbard, the other name in Jarrahdale's possible family tree, is a squash rather than a pumpkin, but it shares the same cool coloring.
Styling with blue pumpkins
Gray-blue is a cool color, so it balances warm ones. Pair it with deep orange pumpkins for contrast, or with white and cream pumpkins for a soft, muted porch. A flat, ribbed pumpkin like Jarrahdale sits steadily on a step and makes a good base for a small stack. One blue pumpkin in a group of orange ones draws the eye, while three or more read as a planned color scheme. If you are working out a full display, our guide to how many pumpkins you need for your porch can help with the count.
Cooking with blue pumpkins
These are true cooking pumpkins. Baker Creek calls Jarrahdale one of the tastier varieties for savory dishes. Seed Savers lists Queensland Blue for baking, roasting, soups and pie, and describes its flesh as meaty and sugary, while CooksInfo calls it mild and semi-sweet. If you want to cook one from your porch, keep it whole and clean while it is on display. Oklahoma State University Extension warns that once a carved pumpkin has sat at room temperature for hours or days, the flesh is not safe to eat.
How long they keep
Blue pumpkins have a reputation as keepers. The Western Australia agriculture department notes the crop can be stored for many months, and CooksInfo says Queensland Blue stores 3 to 6 months in a cool place. Baker Creek goes further and says Jarrahdale often keeps well over 12 months, though that depends on ideal storage. On a porch, weather matters more than variety, so give them the same care as any pumpkin. Our post on how long porch pumpkins last explains what helps.
Questions about your pumpkins?
If you have a pumpkin question we did not cover here, we would be glad to help. Call or text us at (513) 409-0005, or send a message through our contact page. We are a family-run business right here in the Springboro, Dayton and Cincinnati area, and we are always happy to talk pumpkins.