What Is a Peanut Pumpkin?

Characteristics and Culture

• A large squash weighing 10 to 12 pounds at maturity, the peanut pumpkin has pink skin and grows in a flattened chunky form. The beige bumps are caused by the fruit's sugars seeping out and hardening on the surface. Older fruit tends to be wartier and its flesh sweeter. Like other winter squash, the peanut pumpkin is grown exclusively as an annual, as it dies once fruit production ends and it cannot tolerate any frost. It requires soil that is 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for germination and matures in roughly 100 to 105 days. The seeds can go directly into the ground, and the plants should be spaced 6 feet apart as they spread considerably.