Best pumpkins for eating.

Question: What are the best pumpkins for eating? Answers: All having a rich, thick flesh! They are full of all sorts of goodness. They are perfect for many different cooking endeavors. You can bake them, cook them, or freeze their flesh for later. Please read each description to learn more about their taste and other important properties.

Best pumpkins for eating:

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

North America staple. Heirloom.

Medium to large, flattened, wide, ribbed. It looks like a wheel of cheese. Color range: light orange, dull orange, mildew orange, pinkish-orange. The flesh is bright orange & ideal for pies.
Available in the Fall.
You can buy seeds at Rareseeds.

Australian Butter Squash

Photo: Pixabay

Heirloom. It looks similar to Cinderella Pumpkin, but it's boxier and rough-looking. Its skin is much paler, though. Color range: pink, salmon, yellow, light orange. It's deeply ribbed, usually weighs around 15 pounds. Its rind is hard, but the flesh is sweet and creamy (ideal for baking).
Summer and Winter varieties are available.

Dickinson Pumpkin

Photos: Rareseeds

Medium to large. It has an oblong or cylindrical shape, smooth skin with moderate ribs, and thick, sweet orange flesh. It's usually dull orange colored. It has a seed cavity at the base (just like butternut squash). It resembles a giant hazelnut. Great for canning and making pies.
Available in the Fall.
You can buy seeds on Amazon.

Kabocha Squash

Photo: Rareseeds

The Japanese heirloom variety. Cute, small, green. It looks like a mini-pumpkin. It is known for its chestnut flavor and creamy texture. It has rugged skin with faint white stripes and spots. It's sweeter than butternut squash. It has orange flesh.
Available in the Fall & Winter.
Seeds to buy on Amazon.

Musquee de Provence

Photos: Pixabay

A French Heirloom. Usually, weighs around 20 lb. Exceptionally beautiful: flattened with deep ribs (it looks like a wheel of cheese). It's green and grey when immature, brown when fully mature. Full of orange, thick flesh. 
To buy in Autumn.
Seeds available on Amazon & at Rareseeds website.

Please note: Mini Musk is the smaller variant of  Musquee de Provence.

'New England Pie' Pumpkin

New England Sugar Pie Pumpkins, Photo: Rareseeds

Compact. Small to medium. Orange or dark-orange skin, medium ribs,
 hard handles. Starchy & sweet flesh- ideas for pies.
You can buy it in the Fall.
Seeds available on Amazon & at Rareseeds.

Queensland Blue Pumpkin

Photo: Pixabay

Heirloom. Australian variety. Colors may vary (from deep-blue and green to grey & mildew-blue). It's deeply ribbed. Round or blocky, sometimes turban-shaped. Can grow up to 10lbs. Good for roasting, very sweet. Exceptional decor piece.
Available in the Fall.
You can buy seeds on Amazon.

Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash

Photo: Rareseeds

Small, deeply ribbed, cream-colored. Usually, acorn-shaped. Sometimes, more round. The flesh is light-orange and sweet.
Available in the Fall & Winter.
Seeds to buy on Amazon.

Upper Ground Sweet Potato Squash

Photo:
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Weighs up to 20 pounds. Round or pear-shaped, tanned skin (usually ribbed), orange flesh. Tates like sweet potatoes.
Available in the Fall.
Seeds to buy at Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua Squash

Photos: Rareseeds

Medium-sized, flattened, deeply ribbed. Top of the fruit looks imploded. Its skin is rough, buff or dull-orange colored.
Taste and flesh texture changes while squash matures (from tender and nutty to sweet and creamy).
It's both a Summer and Winter squash!
You can buy seeds at Rareseeds webiste.

Cinnamon Girl Pumpkin

Photo: Kristen Earley, Johnny's Selected Seeds

Round, small to medium with a hard & strong handle. It has a beautiful bright orange color. Makes for a great decor piece. Its flesh is perfect for making pies and canning.
Available in the Fall.
You can buy seeds at Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Learn more about different pumpkin types: