Tennessee Sweet Potato Pumpkin
Price: $3.95
SKU: 332008195 days — A very old pumpkin / squash variety. Back when this was a new release, pumpkins were for eating. These do not look like what we would consider a "pumpkin" in this Jack-O-Lantern day and age. The fruit are pear-shaped with creamy, white color skin that is striped in faint green. It is an excellent keeper; if stored properly it can last over six months. The flesh is light colored, fine grained, very dry and resembles sweet potatoes in flavor. Makes an excellent pie. Fruit average ten to twenty pounds in weight.
It is said to have first been listed in 1847 by New York seedsman Grant Thorburn as 'Green Striped Bell' and then, most likely re-named by W. Atlee Burpee in 1883[1] to 'Tennessee Sweet Potato'. Other synonyms used over the years include, 'Genesee Sweet Potato', 'Virginia Sweet Potato', and simply, 'Sweet Potato'. Whether it was simply renamed or possibly a selection of the original, this is what Burpee had to say in 1883 and it still holds true today:
Keep watered during the dry weather and cultivate or mulch to reduce weeds.
- "Vegetables of New York: Vol.1 - Part IV - The Cucurbits," by William T. Tapley, Walter D. Enzie, Glen P. Van Eseltine, 1937.
- "Burpee's Farm Annual for the Southern States," 1883.
Customer Reviews:
By charles hack (central pa) on November 4, 2024
out of 10 seeds i planted only 4 came up they grew half way across my garden i got 7 pretty big squash my wife took them for halloween decorations so i did not eat them everyone asks what kind of pumpkins are they. they make good decorations
By Shelah (Weld, Maine) on November 17, 2022
We've had drought the past four springs, which means our short season (zone 4b) loses about a month. Our summers are cool. I planted three winter squashes (butternut, buttercup and red kuri) and the Tennessee Sweet Potato pumpkin this year and only the pumpkin did well; the others yielded about the size of a baseball or less. We planted the pumpkin against the chain link deer fence and it loved the trellis; this vigorous vine had several big pumpkins hanging in mid-air. As to the taste and texture, it is nothing like a sweet potato; it's closer to a yellow summer squash. The skin is hard and it remains hard after steaming, but the flesh scoops out easily. The flavor is delicate and mildly sweet, not bitter at all (as opposed to the luck of some other reviewers), but nothing you'd consider to cook like a pie pumpkin, or really any pumpkin or squash recipe I can think of. After puzzling what to do with it (because it grew well and I have a lot!), I found that if you mix it with potatoes, butter and cream, it makes a terrific version of the Irish dish Colcannon.
By Mike (Wi) on October 2, 2022
Was excited to try these. Cooked one up to make a pie. Tasted fit as the fruit was lighter than a “squash”…… BITTER!!! Very disappointed. Absolutely not even close to sweet potato
By Ms Pony (Zone 6) on August 24, 2022
First time we've grown these pumpkins, and we are mightily impressed. The vines are sturdy, and looooong! The deer and insects did not bother them at all.
Don't know how well they will store, because this is our first year growing this, but I am fairly confident that they will do well.
Neighbors are already asking for seed. :)
By Anne Holzinger on September 10, 2019
Grew these for first time this year. This was easy to grow, handled weed pressure well and produced very large fruit. I will definitely grow this again.
