If you have seen a wide, flat, red-orange pumpkin with deep ribs on a porch or in a store display, you may have heard it called a Cinderella pumpkin. That name is a nickname. The pumpkin is an old French heirloom with a long history and a name of its own, and it is as useful as it is pretty.
The French name
Mississippi State University Extension explains that the Cinderella pumpkin is an heirloom variety called Rouge Vif d'Etampes in its native France. The words rouge vif mean vivid red, a fair description of its color. Fedco Seeds says the variety is named for a town south of Paris, Etampes, and that it originated in France in the early 1800s.
How it came to America
Fedco and the food reference CooksInfo both credit the Burpee seed company with introducing the pumpkin to the United States in 1883. CooksInfo adds that Burpee reputedly got his seed from Etampes. Mississippi State describes it as a fall favorite since the late 1800s, so this is a pumpkin that has been decorating American homes for well over a century.
Where the Cinderella nickname comes from
Its low, rounded shape looks a lot like a storybook coach, and Mississippi State notes it is rumored to have been the model for Cinderella's pumpkin carriage in the animated film. That is a rumor rather than a documented fact, but the nickname stuck, and many people know the pumpkin only by that name today.
What it looks like
Fedco describes the fruit as flattened and deeply ridged, burnt orange to red, and anywhere from 7 to 30 pounds. CooksInfo notes it sometimes has a few bumps or some netting on the rind, which is normal for the variety. When you choose one, look for a firm, dry stem and no soft spots. Our guide to picking a good pumpkin walks through what to check.
Using it as decor
Mississippi State points out that the flattened shape makes this a good stacking pumpkin. Set a large Cinderella on the bottom and a smaller, rounder pumpkin on top for an easy tower beside the door. Its red-orange color also stands out next to white and green pumpkins. Because it is wide and low, it sits steadily on a step or a table, where a tall pumpkin might tip.
Cooking with it
Opinions on flavor are split. CooksInfo says some cooks call it the gourmet's pumpkin for its custardlike flesh and mild, sweet flavor. Gardening author Amy Goldman, quoted by both Fedco and CooksInfo, is far less impressed and calls it "insipid and watery." Fedco also passes along author Rosalind Creasy's note that French chefs use it as a base for vegetable stock, and her idea of baking garlic, onions and leeks inside the pumpkin for soup. Given the mixed reviews, soup and stock are a good place to start. Only cook a pumpkin that has been kept whole and clean. 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 it lasts on the porch
A Cinderella pumpkin follows the same rules as any whole pumpkin. Cornell University horticulturist Steve Reiners told NPR that a pumpkin that was healthy when picked can last 8 to 12 weeks. Keep it out of standing water and away from hard freezes. Our post on how long porch pumpkins last has more tips.
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.