At Castle Farm, we have a beautiful pumpkin patch where we grow a variety of Pumpkins and Squashes. We cut all the pumpkins by hand, and bring them outside the shop for you to be able to choose your perfect pumpkin for cooking, or just for decoration. The kids love being able to pick and choose from the big trailer-loads!
Our home-grown pumpkins come in a range of shapes and sizes from the tasty little ‘rolet’ that can be baked whole, to the versatile butternut squash, the smooth grey-skinned ‘Crown Prince’, the stripey ‘Harlequin’, mini little ‘Gold Dust’ and the traditional orange Hallowe’en varieties for carving.
Seasonal availability: September to November/December depending on variety.
Come and visit us! The Hop Shop is open seven days a week throughout the year. Monday – Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-5pm.
To store: Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.
With a slightly sweet, buttery flavour and a firm texture this golden-orange fleshed variety is a popular choice. With a pale creamy-brown skin and a similar shape to a rounded pear, butternut squash are
15-20cm long.
Uses: Suitable for baking, roasting or boiling and mashing. Delicious in soups and risottos. Puréed butternut squash make a delicious baby food.To prepare: Peel, remove the seeds and chop into chunks for boiling and roasting. For baking, leave whole and simply wash and pierce the flesh with a sharp knife. To cook: boil cubed butternut squash for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Roast chunks for 40-50 minutes at 200oC, gas mark 6, or until tender, peel and discard the skin and seeds and cut into chunks to add to dishes.
One of the smallest members of the squash family, gem squashes are about the size of an onion. They are just the right size for stuffing.
Uses: Stuff whole gem squash with chopped vegetables and cooked rice. Or quarter and roast with thyme and serve with pork or slice and grill with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. To prepare: Wash and remove the top and deseed. Leave whole or slice or quarter – gem squash do not need to be peeled. To cook: boil whole prepared squash for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Bake stuffed squash for 1 hour at 200oC, gas mark 6 or until tender. Roast sliced gem squash for 30-40 minutes at 200oC, gas mark 6, drizzled with olive oil and thyme.
Royalty – number one in the squash- fancier’s lexicon and a great keeper. Perfect for roasting and holds its shape in a creamy korma. Moistens cakes, combines with eggs and cream for a sweet pie filling or with cheese for a savoury quiche. Add to potato, peppers, onions, plum tomatoes and garlic for a winder ratatouille, or, for a quick first course: chunk, thread onto skewers with slivers of lemon, trickle with oil, sprinkle with oregano, grill and serve with tzatziki.
Be the first to hear of exclusive offers and seasonal updates. *10% off online purchases only, exclusions apply, please see our T&Cs.
