Cinderella Pumpkin ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’
The Cinderella Pumpkin ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ is a beautiful French heirloom pumpkin. It first became available in the U.S. in 1883. It is a deep orange pumpkin with pronounced ribs and is quite flat. I can see why Cinderella used it as a coach to get to the ball, it truly is a lovely pumpkin!
I bought this one at our local farmer’s market this past fall. The lady that runs the farm said they make the best pumpkin pies, and since Mr Chiots and I love pumpkin pies I bought it.
This pumpkin was so beautiful I was reluctant to cut it up. It graced our dining room for the past several month. This past Saturday I decided it was time; the momentous occasion was Mr Chiot’s birthday. So out came the butcher knife and that was the end of our beautiful pumpkin.
Carving a whole pumpkin is a bit of a task. It’s definitely much easier to use a can opener to get your pumpkin purée, but this is much tastier and it’s local!
So into the oven it went. After it was baked and cooled I got out the old Squeezo
I ended up with a huge bowl of pumpkin purée, much more than I would have been able to purchase canned for $3. I only needed 30 oz for my recipe, so I’ll freeze the rest for soup or muffins or perhaps another pie (the pets are also enjoying some of it mixed with butter).
I settled on a recipe from Use Real Butter because it called for freshly ground spices and cream. I happened to have some cream I skimmed from our local milk and pastured eggs from the local farm, so besides the spices it’s almost an all local pie. It has a lighter more custard like consistency than most pumpkin pies, and the freshly ground spices just put it over the top. It’s been a big hit here at Chiot’s Run. I’ve used freshly roasted pumpkins in pies before, and I must say, this is by far the best tasting pumpkin purée I’ve ever had.
I also love that her recipe is crustless. I’ve always made my pumpkin pies sans crust, there’s just sometime about that soggy crust I don’t like. I would much rather have a few crushed gingersnaps on top of my pumpkin pie that a soggy crust underneath.
I made sure I saved the seeds from this pumpkin so I could try to grow a few in my gardens. How great would these be gracing my front hillside! I am in the habit of saving seeds from things I buy as long as they are heirloom open pollinated plants. I even made up my own seed packets to put them.
Anyone else saving seeds from things they buy to grow in their gardens?
Filed under Edible, Local, Pumpkin | Comments (31)
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Lovely pumpkin! I have never saved seed, but have been hearing so much about it that I might try with some pumpkin/winter squash. New venture for me. I’ve never seen Pink Banana squash, I’d love to try. (Gack, I’m already straying from my garden plan!)
to Mangochild's comment
Susy,
Rouge Vif d’Etampes was on my “wants” list this year, and I decided to hold off on it and grow more acorn squashes instead. Reading about how well your pie turned out has me thinking I should toss the acorn squashes and grow these instead. It is a gorgeous pumpkin.
I’ll take you up on the seeds, I think. Do you need anything? I’ve got tons of heirloom tomatoes (I can email you a list if you want), and I just got another seed order in, including ‘Rosa Bianca’ eggplant and ‘Black Beauty’ zucchini. (Nothing all that exciting—old standbys that I grow every year.)
Let me know ;-)
to Colleen's comment
Oh my. Oh my. Oh my.
Do you think it would ship to England?
to Frugal Trenches's comment
I would love to take you up on your offer for some seeds :-) These are the prettiest pumpkins. I also save seed from veggies that I find. My favorite is saving tomato seeds. I found some cool heirloom tomatoes at a local organic shop and saved some black tomato seeds and a striped “stuffing” tomato seeds.
to Judy's comment
Have you had success planting seeds from bought pumpkins? I’ve always heard that pumpkins/squash can be tricky because of the cross pollination factor, and that the seeds might not ring true. As I don’t hand pollinate either, I’ve been nervous about saving pumpkin/squash seeds as I have had seeds spring up here on their own and grow those strange frankenfruit of nature’s cross pollination. (You know, a sort of zuchinni/pumpkin. Or that pumpkin that looks normal until you crack it open and it’s just not right.)
to farm mom's comment
I love to bake and have always wanted to try using “real” pumpkin. Thanks for the great pics. It looks amazing! I roasted a spaghetti squash yesterday and was wondering if I could save all of those seeds to plant. Great timing! I enjoy your blog by the way. I’m a fellow Ohioan, southern though.
to Bridgett's comment
I’ve had great luck growing butternut squash from seed, they’re usually better than the ones from the seed I buy. This past year the volunteer plants that sprung from my compost pile produced the biggest best tasting butternuts, they also seem to be much more disease resistant. All the ones I bought, started the seeds for and carefully planted produced tiny fruits or didn’t fruit at all or were diseased.
to Susy's comment
That really is one beautiful pumpkin, and the pie looks absolutely delicious. I have always wanted to grow Rouge Vif d’Etampes’…maybe this will be the year. You would probably need a pretty huge container, though, wouldn’t you?
Great photos…you have talent! And how did you make that professional-looking seed packet?
to Joe's comment
I’m guessing a big container would be needed as well. I’m considering planting one in my compost pile to see what happens.
I actually used Pages on my mac for my seed packet. I found an image of a seed packet and liked it so I kind of copied it. I measured out how much I would need for the side flaps and added cutting lines and voila, a seed packet was born. I made it so that it’s easy to drop in photos of whatever I’m putting inside and it’s easy to change the name of the item as well.
to Susy's comment
I’d be interested in some seeds if you still have any left. We saved seeds from some sort of melon this year. I know little about it other than it was a party in my mouth when I ate it. I don’t know what we’ll get but I will try!
We also plant green striped cushaw and make pies with them as well. Best pumpkin pie I ever had was made with our own cushaw squash. I saved some seeds from ours so we’ll see how they do this year.
to warren's comment
That pumpkin is beautiful!
to Allie's comment
Beautiful pumpkin! I have green banana squash that I got from my mother. She has been growing them for years. This year I saved seed from them as well as her butternuts and plan to grow them in the garden. It usually takes us several meals to get through an entire banana squash but they are Oh so tasty.
to Judy's comment
YUMMY!!! And so impressive. I really am a slacker!
to Kelly's comment
Now I’m really excited! I’m growing Rouge Vif d’Etampes for the first time this year. What a beautiful pumpkin and what gorgeous pictures. I dont’ have a mac or many graphic design skills, but you’ve inspired me to try to make my own seed packets. Thanks!
to deborah's comment
Hey Suzy,
I have very little saved seed, but would love to trade with you if you are still interested and have seeds left. Seed saving is something will will be doing a lot more of.
I have a great tasting small watermelon (like a Sugar Baby) and I have some heirloom tomatoes.
Your choice!
If you are interested, shoot me an email at the address here. (assuming you can see it! if not let me know.)
Thanks
Chicago Mike
to Chicago Mike's comment
Love your blog, great photos of the pumpkin. Would you be willing to post your seed packet template you created?
to Andres's comment
Wow – what a beautiful pumpkin! And I love that it was an almost all-local endeavour. Thanks for stopping by my blog – I’ll definitely be following along in yours :).
to Kelly's comment
[...] few of you commented on my Cinderella Pumpkin post about being interested in some seeds. I mailed those off last week (so if you wanted some and [...]
to Trading Seeds | Chiot’s Run's comment
Starting a garden for the first time this year. Your site is inspiring! If you would be so generous, I would love to try the Cinderella Pumpkin seeds.
Most sincerely,
Pam
to Pam's comment
Dear Susie,
I just got my seeds! Thank you. They arrived torn open, mangled, with the outer part of the seeds off, but many look like they still want to grow up to be pumpkins. I hope my amateur skills can make that happen.
Most gratefully yours,
Pam
to Pam's comment
Beautiful pumpkin…I would love to try it…I don’t have any seeds to send you as this is my first gardening year…but if I have any luck, I will have some come next fall.
If you have any seeds left, I would be grateful for you to send some.
Thanks.
to Treva Taglieri's comment
How do I get some seeds for the French cinderella pumpkin. I can’t find them around here. The usual place I get them from locally didn’t have them this year. Thank you for your site.
to Susie Braseth's comment
where did you buy those seeds? that you show on your site that is the 9th h picture
thanks.. bill
to bill's comment
I made the packet on my computer.
to Susy's comment
Now I am going to have to look this one up. If I can’t get it locally you have any seeds you would like to sell me?
How do you know what plants are open polinated (or those that can be grown from seeds from the plant) as opposed to cross-polinated or in need of another plant of a similar variety near by?
Tree´s last blog ..MY TOWEL HANDS OFF
to Tree's comment
I am a farmer growing Cinderella pumpkins for the first time for market. I am just starting to sell them and am just searching prices right now. I will tell customers how good the pies can be from them!
Anyway you can save seeds from open-pollinated heirloom varieties BUT they will only come true to seed if no other squashes were grown in the area. Otherwise they will be cross-pollinated with other varieties. That can be ok, but you can’t profess the seeds are true to type unless the flowers were isolated until fruited. The little fuzzy bees just go from flower to flower spreading all the pollen everywhere.
to Tamara's comment
I love pumpkin now that I’ve had it fresh! It’ll soon be time to go pumpkin picking and to the farmer’s market. I’d love to know how to grow the seeds but I usually roast them since I don’t know what to do.
Renee´s last blog ..Keepsake Pajamas!
to Renee's comment
Your photos are gorgeous. Just found your blog while searching Cinderella pumpkins. I bought one in New Hampshire and I am roasting it as I type. May I ask, is there any trick for drying out the seeds? I saved about 4 dozen of them. (right now they’re just wet and slimy!) I am a new homeowner and would like to collect seeds, and trade them as the years go by, heirlooms of course!
I am very interested in the organic garden, composting, ect. My guy is building me a raised garden with some of the space we have.
Thank you for your blog. I can’t wait to read how your pumpkins grew this year.
Michelle
to Michelle's comment
If anyone is looking to order these seeds, Baker Creek Seed Co. carries them. I bought some last year and they turned out beautiful.
to Yvette's comment
Thanks, I’ll probably be buying some. Mine grew beautifully from saved seeds: http://chiotsrun.com/2009/10/02/the-great-pumpkins/
to Susy's comment
Like Michelle I found your blog while searching rouge vif d’etampes. My parents are long time organic gardeners and now that they are retired are active at local farm markets and specialize in heirloom vegetables. As a child I would grow pumpkins and gourds and as an adult have always been curious about this variety. I bought one a Trader Joes recently. I found the color, flavor and yield to be far superior to ANY pie pumpkin I have ever encountered (avid pumpkin pie baker). Thank you for your seed saving suggestion, these will be growing in my parents pumpkin patch next year! Also thank you for all the links to the wonderful food blogs! Cheers!
to Wrecka's comment