Rare Heirloom Organic Tours French Pumpkin Seeds (3)
(Citrouille de Touraine)
Citrouille de Touraine is a splendid French heirloom cultivated for centuries in the province of Touraine, France. There, it was grown for animal feed and for its amazing seeds, which are delicious and were esteemed for reputed medicinal properties. And they are huge! We're so excited to be able to offer this venerable heirloom type, which is incredibly rare in the US.This very antique French heirloom was known at least as early as the late 18th century. It was amply described by Vilmorin-Andrieux, the legendary early French seedsmen who published the invaluable 1856 classic, "Description des plantes potagères" ("Description of Vegetable Plants"). They wrote: "Light green or mottled bark, nuanced white or pale red, white flesh rose slightly yellowish. Wide, flat seed... the largest of its kind." And very large the seeds are--the largest seeds of any pepo squash we have ever seen or even heard of! The seeds have a curious wide margin around the edge and are very unique.The cream to yellow flesh is very thin, fibrous and spongy, but in its native France, Citrouille de Touraine has been used in soups and jams, and occasionally preserved in vinegar as a pickle. There, the seeds were compared to almonds and pressed for oil. It's these gi-normous seeds that are the real prize. They are such a treat, lightly salted and roasted!
Tours is a beautiful, upright, oval pumpkin that adds height and a different shape to fall displays. It is dark green with pale green striping and has pale yellow flesh. Tours has a long history of use in France for pickling, soups, jam and animal feed. The extremely large seeds (about 80 per ounce) have medicinal properties for people and animal and produce a tremendous amount of oil when pressed. The fruit will store for 5 months. C. pepo. 95 days.Tours novelty pumpkin, a unique French heirloom, looks much like a watermelon and add interest to your fall displays. Its tall upright shaped fruit are dark green in color and have light yellow-orange stripes that run from the top to the bottom. Tours' fruit have a diameter of 10 to 14", stand 12 to 18" tall, and have a contrasting light green stem that is hard and firmly attached.(16-18 lbs.)