Chapters 8.44: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 12:34, 5 September 2024
8.44-Value Addition of Pumpkin / Pepitas
Ronna O’Neil, University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
O’Neil,R. (2022) Value Addition of Pumpkin / Pepitas,In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org
Introduction
Cucurbits, such as pumpkins, originated from the Southern United States, Central and South America, and Mexico (Kates et al., 2017). Around 10,000 years ago pumpkins were first cultivated by indigenous populations (Kates et al., 2017). Now in places like Transkei, South Africa, 98% of the farmers are intercropping pumpkins alongside maize and beans (Tembakazi Silwana, 2002). Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, which is important for smallholder farmers to have in their diets to help their immune system and prevents night blindness (Chavasit et al., 2002; West et al., 2010). Pumpkin seeds (Pepitas) are also nutritious and even have the amino acid tryptophan (Yadav et al., 2010). Pumpkins are also very useful when intercropped because their vines help reduce the number of weeds in a field, which therefore decreases the amount of time a farmer has to spend weeding (Olasantan, 2007). Both the fruit and the seeds of the pumpkin can be used by smallholder farmers. The fruit of the pumpkin can be used both raw (e.g. in pumpkin pie, canned/pureed, soup, etc.) or dried (e.g. pumpkin chip/flour, etc.), while pumpkin seeds can be eaten raw or roasted, or have their oil extracted. Other than the extensive labor required to grow pumpkins, all recommended value addition ideas can be accomplished by an individual farmer. Due to issues with storage and shelf life of foods like pumpkin pies/soups, especially since refrigeration is not available to the majority of smallholder farmers, more processed pumpkin alternatives and their ability to add value (Grace et al., 2016) will be the focus here:
Value Addition Ideas
Canned Pumpkin
To get started with the pumpkin canning process the farmer could invest in a ‘canning starter kit’ which can be purchased from Alibaba.com for roughly three-dollars, after acquiring a canning kit the additional expenses would include any ingredient needed and any additional mason jars to can the pumpkin (which can also be bought at relatively cheap prices; thirty-five-cents) (look under Helpful Links). The pumpkin fruit will need to be washed, peeled, cut into cubes, and then boiled-water and salt should be added onto them (Larson-Nordsiden, 1978). To prevent contamination, it is recommended that the pumpkin cubes be canned and then not pureed until right before use; to kill any additional bacteria the puree should be heated to 250°F (Larson-Nordsiden, 1978). Depending on the individual farmer the pumpkin cubes could also be canned in citrus juice (e.g. orange, mango) if it is easier to acquire than water and salt, or depending on acquired taste (Assous, 2014). During six months of being stored at room temperature the canned pumpkin still maintains its colour and texture (Assous, 2014). Canned pumpkin can be sold by the farmer or can be made into pies, soups, etc. and then be sold. Since this products shelf life is not extremely long, selling it at a local farmers market would likely be the best option. Farmers markets create a link between urban and rural people, providing the farmer with an income and the consumer with locally grown, nutritional food, benefiting both farmer and consumer (Bastin, 2007). The canned pumpkin can be stacked in small box crates to help with transportation of the canned food, which is often done by foot or cart (Willhelm, 1994).
Dehydrated Pumpkin
The fruit of a pumpkin can also be dehydrated and eaten as a chip, or ground into flour. By dehydrating (drying) the fruit, its shelf life is extended (Carciofo et al., 2018) After washing, peeling, slicing, and then blanching the fruit slices in a water/salt solution, they can be dried (Woldetsadik et al, 2014). The drying process of the fruit can be done in the sun, in the oven, or with a small dehydrator (Woldetsadik et al., 2014). If the farmer uses an oven or the sun, the drying time of the pumpkin slices will take substantially longer than if they were to invest in a dehydrator, but the former are cheaper options. Even when dried, the pumpkin fruit maintains a large amount of its nutritional value, and will therefore still provide the farmer with a source of nutrients (Carciofo et al., 2018). After drying, the fruit can be left as is and eaten as a chip, or the dried slices can be ground with a mortar and pestle or a traditional stone mill until it is a flour like consistency, which can then be used in breads (Saeleaw, 2011). The dried fruit can be kept for the farmers consumption or can be sold. However, if the farmer plans on selling the dried pumpkin fruit they should consider using a cleaner way to dehydrate the slices, such as an oven, rather than setting them out in the sun, as drying in the sun takes longer which increases the chances of fungal growth in the fruit (Ahou Kouadio, 2012). The dried pumpkin fruit or flour could be stored in sealable plastic bags or mason jars. Both the pumpkin chips or flour could be sold at a local farmers market, but because the dehydration of the fruit reduces its weight and volume, the costs to ship the product would also decrease, which turns selling the pumpkin chips/flour online an option (Carciofi et al. 2018). However, if the farmer was to market their product online they would have to put more money into packaging so that it would appeal to consumers (Baker, 1977).
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, known as pepitas in Mexico, also provide a great source of nutrients, but they are often discarded (Karantonis et al., 2015). Pepitas can be stored away to be planted another year, eaten, or have their oil extracted and used (see below). To prepare the pepitas, the farmer needs to separate them from the rest of the pumpkin, wash them, and then husk them so that they can be eaten raw or roasted (Karantonis et al., 2015). To ensure that the pepita kernels are not damaged, husking must be done by hand, which can be rather time consuming for the farmer (Karantonis et al., 2015). Although, the time spent husking pepitas can be decreased using cheap simple gadgets (look under Helpful Links). If the farmer plans on roasting the seeds they can soak them in a water/salt solution for about one hour, drain the water and then cook the seeds in an oven at 170°F, until brown (Karantonis et al., 2015). Pepitas provide a great source of nutrients, especially during droughts, and are easy to store with a long shelf life (Azam et al., 2014).
Pumpkin Seed Oil
More commonly, pumpkin seeds are used for their oils. Once the pepitas are husked and roasted, the farmer can ground them up using a mortar and pestle or traditional milling stones until the pepitas tur into a pulp (Dimic et al., 2010). After water and salt are added to the pulp, the mixture should be cooked at a high temperature for one hour, or until the oils separate from the pulp (Dimic et al., 2010). With the use of a sieve, the oils can be further separated from the pulp and stored in mason jars, where their shelf life will be about 12 months (Dimic et al., 2010). One way that the farmer can use pepita oil is by adding it to her children’s meals, not only for the added nutritional value but to add flavor as well (Dirorimwe et al., 2011). Pepita oil can be sold to earn a reasonable profit as its retail value is high while the expenses to grow a pumpkin are low (Carciofi et al., 2018). Like the other pumpkin by-products, pepita oil could be sold at a local farmers market, but if the farmer is able to spend more money on the packaging of the oil, she could sell it to local tourist hotels and restaurants since it is considered a ‘high class’ oil among European countries (Balbino, 2017).
Critical Analysis
It can be a challenge for smallholder farmers to make a sale or profit when there is an influx of that specific crop during its harvest, specifically when it’s a perishable good (Benchekroun, 2015). To help smallholder farmers with these problems, associations like HEIA can be created, where there is a focus on pre-cooling, packaging, and refrigerated transport being made available to farmers so that their products can last over a longer period, creating less waste and allowing more to be sold or used (Benchekroun, 2015). If those three factors can be well established and then combined with processing methods such as drying the pumpkin fruit, farmers will be able to further extend their products shelf life (Woldetsadik, 2014). When a farmer is planning on selling a product, appealing packaging becomes a concern. To help smallholder farmers with this extra expense they can be provided with resources that offer ‘cheap’ labeling machines (Alibaba.com). Something as simple as adding a machine-made label onto a mason jar can make the product much more appealing to possible consumers (look under Helpful Links).
Helpful Links
How to sell small farm products online:
• https://www.thespruce.com/sell-small-farm-products-online-3016900
Links on canned pumpkin:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QeUiM3_KoU
Links on dehydrated pumpkin fruit:
• https://selfreliantschool.com/dehydrate-pumpkin-plus-making-pumpkin-flour/
• http://dehydratorliving.com/how-long-does-dehydrated-food-last/
Links on pumpkin seeds:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhfnmfVDG3Y
Links on pumpkin seed oil:
• https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-make-pumpkin-seed-oil/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHSdMyAYkag
Cheap Tools:
• Sieve
• Mortar and pestle
• Mason Jars
• Storage Bin Totes
• Small Dehydrator
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NZPP6U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001NZPP6U&linkCode=as2&tag=awcowdehydrating-20&linkId=VFZDJYBNGHWBBP35• Canning kit
• Seed cracker
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILkriZkURVE
• Hand Held Labeling Machine
- https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Advanced-big-size-and-small-size_60816998546.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.82.af8d29e1L2fofIReferences
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