New England Cheddar vs Long Island Cheese: Which Pie Pumpkin?
By Autumn Prairie Pumpkins
Both of these are "cheese" pumpkins, named for their flat, wheel-of-cheese shape, and both are terrific for pies. If you are deciding between them for a Kansas garden, here is the honest comparison.
The short answer
Long Island Cheese is the classic open-pollinated heirloom. You can save its seed and grow the same pumpkin next year. New England Cheddar is an F1 hybrid bred for uniformity and a deep tan finish. Both are Cucurbita moschata, so both bring the solid-stem vine borer resistance that matters here.
Long Island Cheese: the heirloom pie standard
This is one of the great American pie pumpkins, grown for generations. Fruits run roughly 6 to 15 pounds with sweet, deep flesh that bakes and cans well and stores for months. Because it is open-pollinated, it is the one to grow if you want to save your own seed. Around 105 days. See the Long Island Cheese growing guide for details.
New England Cheddar: the uniform hybrid
New England Cheddar is an F1 hybrid that lands around 5 to 8 pounds with a smooth, uniform tan rind and dense flesh well suited to pies and fall display. As a hybrid, it trades seed-saving for consistency: if uniformity of size and color across your patch matters, this is the reliable one. Around 112 days. See the New England Cheddar growing guide.
Which should you grow in Kansas?
Grow Long Island Cheese if you want the classic heirloom flavor and the ability to save seed year after year. Grow New England Cheddar if you want a uniform, tidy hybrid crop for pies and decor. Many gardeners grow both, since they cook beautifully together and stagger nicely. Either way you are getting a moschata, which is the right call for our vine borer summers. For more pie options, see our best heirloom pumpkins for pies.
Packed and shipped from our Newton, Kansas seed shop. Free shipping on orders over $35.