How is pumpkin so cheap in Thailand?

[Hal65]

It's 20 baht/kg at Big C, 10 to 15 baht/kg at Makro. So about 20 to 50 cents a pound for winter squash in a hot/humid climate. Anyone know where the pumpkin is coming from ? Am I eating a wall of pesticides or something?

Edited January 14, 2018 by Hal65

[giddyup]

Never saw pumpkin as an  expensive vegetable-anywhere.

[Andyfez]

It's local. We grow them on our rice fields off season.

[rooinekrsa]

like the rice, everybody grows them

[Jonnapat]

People just dry the seeds, replant them in clusters and give them water.

 

Seeds cost nothing and very little labour required, hence the cheap price.

[malibukid]

it's sad that the Thai's don't like Pumpkin pie, just Pumpkin soup.

[Laza 45]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

Never saw pumpkin as an  expensive vegetable-anywhere.

Try Australia.. the farmers get about 20 cents a kilo.. Wollies and the other big supermarkets charge $4 or $5 a kilo.. guess who is making money..

[welovethailand]

Thats expensive for the wife..she always gets it about 5-7tb a kilo at the big farmers market in udon. Resellers are probably paying 3-5 kilo if buy a truck load.  There is soooo much her e. Tastes real nice right now.

I feel sorry for the farmers, they do all the work and get poorer.

[connda]

The 'pumpkins' and squash grow really well in Northern Thailand.  There's a lot of weight for not a lot of effort.  So yeah.  You think it's cheap in Makro and Big C?  20 THB/Kg.  Try 15 to 20 THB for a large 'luuk.'  And, pineapple up in our neck of the woods north of Lampang is back to be dirt cheap.  Large bags of cut fruit slices for 10 THB / bag. 

[connda]

16 minutes ago, welovethailand said:

Thats expensive for the wife..she always gets it about 5-7tb a kilo at the big farmers market in udon. Resellers are probably paying 3-5 kilo if buy a truck load.  There is soooo much her e. Tastes real nice right now.

I feel sorry for the farmers, they do all the work and get poorer.

But, if they are not selling to a middle man, and selling it themselves that make more profit.  Too bad most of these folks don't have the sophistication of create cooperatives. 

[BuaBS]

Yes 10B/kg at the market . I take the beige smooth ones , they are easier to cut the skin off. I eat the seeds too , they are rich in some minerals . It's a nice change from yukky rice and 4 times cheaper than potatoes.  The green rugged are a b__ch ( female dog) to cut , a lot of waste . I cut my fingers often on them. I don't know about pesticides and other chemicals , but it's Thailand so there will be some in/on them. I wonder how long you can keep them before eating them ( not in the fridge).

[whaleboneman]

Pumpkins are cheap cause they don't celebrate Hallowe'en.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Thick & Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Thick & Creamy Pumpkin Soup is our family recipe, and a favourite weekly soup! Served with crispy bacon, this soup will become YOUR new favourite soup!

Servings: 6

Author: Karina - Cafe Delites

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds | 1 kg pumpkin , skin and seeds removed, chopped
• 1 onion , roughly chopped
• 2 medium-sized potatoes , peeled and diced
• 1 large carrot , peeled and diced
• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (stock)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes , crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste (if needed)
• 1/2 cup half and half (or light cream)
• 1/2 cooked bacon , to serve (optional)
• Fresh parsley , to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients, except cream, in a large pot or saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
2. Take off heat. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
3. Add the cream and stir through (do not boil after adding cream).
4. Add any salt or pepper if needed, and serve with bacon and parsley (if desired).

[Lacessit]

Loathe the stuff. It's fed to pigs as well, don't you know?

[MyFriend You]

You could almost live entire on pumpkin  - the American POW's ate pumpkin soup everyday in the Hanoi Hilton.

[rickudon]

It grows as a weed in our garden.

[balo]

Very easy to grow , anywhere in Thailand really - So one of the cheapest veggies available here. 

 

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, giddyup said:

Never saw pumpkin as an  expensive vegetable-anywhere.

To be honest neither did I, nor did I ever see it on my plate growing up in the UK.

I even recall having a bit of an argument during my Saudi working days, a common pass-time known as 'wind up the yank', when somehow dietary differences came up and I said we don't eat pumpkin in the UK, when he asked me what we did with it I then aggravated him by saying we fed it to pigs.

 

Later, after a few USA trips I learned to like it, and blimey, they even make cakes out of it over there, carrots too, who would have Adam and Eve'd it!

 

Enjoy it frequently in Thailand now!

[welovethailand]

We eat the pumkin (squash) with the skin on. Most vitimins are in the skins, (potatoes, ect). She steams it..plain, no butter or salt. Grab & eat.

Something better is the purple sweet potatoes, tons of vitimins and good taste!  I figured a few years ago, its cheaper to eat sweet potatoes than "good for nothing" dry noodle.

For those that had "farmer" grandparents, like me, they all had a cellar basement they kept all potatoes, onions, apples, pumkin, ect. in throughout the winter and into spring months. Lasted for months. Meats were put in jars. Around 1974 I found a jar of roast beef (MY GRANDFATHER raised his own beef cattle) in their basement from 1958. We had it for dinner..perfect. 

I keep all eggies in the fridge, but if they are big or alot, put them on the floorin darkness, in the coolest part of your house. They will last a long time, especially with this weather wars we are having.

We have 15 pineapples for 50tb here, also.

[Lacessit]

On 1/15/2018 at 6:57 PM, TunnelRat69 said:

You could almost live entire on pumpkin  - the American POW's ate pumpkin soup everyday in the Hanoi Hilton.

No wonder they looked so thin when released.

[MyFriend You]

On 1/16/2018 at 4:48 PM, welovethailand said:

We eat the pumkin (squash) with the skin on. Most vitimins are in the skins, (potatoes, ect). She steams it..plain, no butter or salt. Grab & eat.

Something better is the purple sweet potatoes, tons of vitimins and good taste!  I figured a few years ago, its cheaper to eat sweet potatoes than "good for nothing" dry noodle.

For those that had "farmer" grandparents, like me, they all had a cellar basement they kept all potatoes, onions, apples, pumkin, ect. in throughout the winter and into spring months. Lasted for months. Meats were put in jars. Around 1974 I found a jar of roast beef (MY GRANDFATHER raised his own beef cattle) in their basement from 1958. We had it for dinner..perfect. 

I keep all eggies in the fridge, but if they are big or alot, put them on the floorin darkness, in the coolest part of your house. They will last a long time, especially with this weather wars we are having.

We have 15 pineapples for 50tb here, also.

I paint it with butter and roast it over hot coals here in Thailand.