One thousand kilos of traditional variety pumpkin seeds. That’s nothing! This is the volume that we have managed to recover over the last 20 years, during which time we have made great efforts to contribute to the recovery of traditional varieties of carruecano, peanut and roteña valenciana pumpkins, a fruit (yes, yes, fruit) in which we are specialists.
And why so much eagerness? Because these are varieties that are being lost in favor of hybrid pumpkins, which are more widespread. And the truth is that hybrids are necessary but, from our point of view, it is also necessary to maintain an adequate level of traditional varieties, for their magnificent contributions in aroma, flavor, color and sweetness.
At Peris, we use the traditional varieties of pumpkin for I, IV and V range. In the first range we sell them whole, in the fourth range we work with them peeled and cut in different formats, and in the fifth range we roast them in the oven to facilitate their consumption as a dessert or healthy snack.
Traditional pumpkin varieties
Step-by-step seed selection process for traditional varieties
So, harvest after harvest, we choose the best pieces from land that is isolated from other nearby crops to avoid contamination by cross-pollination. Harvesting is done at the optimum point of ripening, which guarantees that the seed is fully formed and ripe. From all the pieces harvested, we only select the seeds of those that present a good formation, an optimal external and internal coloration and a weight according to their volume, making sure that they do not present any undesirable or inappropriate characteristic of the variety.
The next step is to separate the seeds from any remaining pulp, and place them in trays in a clean, well-ventilated room at room temperature, to begin the natural drying process. During a period of 15 to 20 days, the seeds are checked daily for moisture loss by weighing them. As a last step, we pack them in containers that we store under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, in order to maintain the viability of these seeds for a long period of time.
Germination and replanting trials
Selected and germinated pumpkin seeds
Our technicians complete another phase to ensure the viability of the seeds, the germination tests, where the condition of the seeds is checked. Currently, our success rate stands at 96%.
The last step is replanting. The seeds of traditional varieties return to the field to become pumpkin and, finally, offer our customers an excellent culinary experience, thanks to the flavor, texture, color and aroma. So if you are a lover of pumpkin in all its versions, choose the traditional varieties, because they are well worth it.