Pumpkin and squash - Ask Extension
Is pumpkin and squashes a fruit?
Knowledgebase
Pumpkin and squash #678064
Asked December 07, 2020, 3:01 PM EST
Is pumpkin and squashes a fruit?
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
For Pumpkin: A pumpkin from a botanist‘s perspective is a fruit because it’s a product of the seed-bearing structure of flowering plants. Even though pumpkin is botanically a fruit, it is predominantly cooked like a vegetable and because pumpkins are less sweet and more savory from a culinary perspective, they are categorized as a vegetable.
For Squash: Since squash contains seeds and develops from the flower-producing part of a plant, it is botanically a fruit. Even though squash is botanically a fruit, it is predominantly cooked like a vegetable.
Hope this helps!!
