Pumpkin sap makes hands peel?

15 years ago

Hi all,

Decided to roast some pumpkin to make pumpkin puree to use in recipes for the holidays. Managed two rouge vif d'etampes heirloom pumpkins in the patch this year, from the great Seeds of Change giveaway. Picked them about a week ago or so, so aren't fully cured, but thought it would be so cool to cook something from my own garden.

After cutting up the first one, my left hand is tight and skin is peeling, sort of orange stained. I have searched the internet and seems to be common for butternut squash and related vegetables to either a.) cause contact dermatitis or b.) coat the hand with sap that mimics an allergic reaction. Don't know which is true.

Anyone had any experience with this? Have washed and scrubbed and lotioned, and seems like it will be ok, nothing serious (even though this has been the year of the allergy for me, with every few months bringing a new allergy to the fore, none have been food, mostly skin and sinus) but truthfully am a little leery of eating the roasted pumpkin now. Even though I have eaten pumpkin pie for years and never had a problem, just sort of wigged out because I now have an alien hand.

Thanks,

Mia

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Comments (5)

cactusgarden
15 years ago
They sell pumpkin facial peels, the glycolic acid is supposed to be a good mild resurfacing peel. From what you describe, it just might work. I think its something like 40% pumpkin in the recipe. Maybe you got a very strong dose using 100% pumpkin and leaving it on too long? Look online under skin resurfacing pumpkin and you will find the information.
helenh
15 years ago
I think it would be good to just eat a small amount at a time. If your mouth and lips burn, its not for you.
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Okiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years ago
Mia,

It could be either contact dermatitis or the glycogen, but neither one would necessarily mean you couldn't eat the pumpkin. Some folks do react more strongly to glycolic acid peels than others do, and it may be that you are one of the folks whose skin is just more sensitive to the glycolic acid.

Sometimes I have a skin reaction (contact dermatitis) when I touch tomato foliage, but I can eat the fruit just fine with no issues whatsoever.

Like Helen suggested, I'd suggest you try just a bite or two at first and wait 10-20 minutes to see if you feel any tingling, numbness or itchiness in your mouth or throat. If not, it probably is safe for you to eat it. I have a lot of allergies, but the food allergies are subtle and not always apparent at first, so I keep liquid Benadryl handy because it is fast-acting in case I eat something that causes a reaction.

If the idea of eating pumpkin or winter squash now makes you very uncomfortable, you could discuss it with your doctor first to see if you need to be tested for that particular food allergy.

Dawn
MiaOKC
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the advice. After a shower and several hand washings, I think that it must have been a coating on the skin. Almost gone now. I think if the skin was peeling off the new layer would be much more pink and sensitive. I've handled the cooked pieces of pumpkin with no adverse effects, so I think something about the sap secreted by this particular type of pumpkin. When I carved a jack o lantern last year, didn't have anything like this happen. Will get some liquid Benadryl to have on hand when I eat this type.
Lisa_H OK
15 years ago
Mia, although I didn't chime in earlier, I thought it might be a dried sap....from my distant past I thought I remembered getting stuff on my hands and it would dry and crack. I didn't remember it being any kind of reaction, but I was afraid my memory was faulty!

Lisa