Pumpacrackers
Pumpacrackers are a sweet pumpkin-like fruit found natively on the islands of The Open Sky, famous for their explosive methods of seed dispersal. They are one of the staple crops of Sky Folk, often being grown on farms and vegetable gardens and notable for their low maintenance growth, high yield and resistance to weather, being able to survive and grow in the depths of winter. Their explosiveness is directly tied to their sugar content, sweeter pumpacrackers bursting with more force, the burst usually happens a few days after ripening as the fruit's internals begin to quickly ferment and produce gas that is eventually released when the tough skin of the pumpacracker is breached by the ever-increasing internal pressure, resulting in an explosion of seeds, sweet vegetable flesh and fermented juice.
Varieties
Wild Pumpacrackers
Wild pumpacrackers are fairly small and flat with bright orange skin. They grow in large sprawling patches that spread quickly during ripening, growing from branching vines that sprout from a central bush. They are fairly sweet and, as a result, have fairly forceful explosions with a volume comparable to an above-average festive cracker. Their explosion isn't overly dangerous but being hit by the resulting vegetable shrapnel can leave a nasty bruise and it is advised to avoid pumpacracker patches without eye protection.
Domestic Pumpacracker
The common domesticated variety is significantly larger than its wild ancestor, it also features a slightly brighter exterior colour with yellow speckles. It retains its wild counterpart's sweetness but with its larger size and slightly softer exterior, it takes significantly longer to explode once it begins fermenting and will stretch slightly before the breaching. The domestic breed retains the explosive power of its ancestor but can result in a significantly louder bang. It is a popular choice both in farms and gardens as it's bushes don't require as much room and can grow much more densely than the wild counterpart.
Hissing Pumpacracker
The hissing pumpacracker is a variant bread with the intention of reducing its explosive power. The resulting fruit is tall and narrow with yellowish skin and green speckles. Its name originates from the hissing sound it will emit as gas leaks from small cracks if allowed to go past ripening. As such, it is considered a better candidate for growing inside or for teaching young growers. As a side effect of it's reduced explosiveness, it's sugar content is much lower than others, resulting it taking much longer for pressure to build up inside and giving it much more savoury taste. This savoury taste isn't that appealing to most sky folk, as much it is often used as a filler ingredient in their dishes or exported to other worlds.
Grenadier's Pumpacracker
The grenadier's pumpacracker is a variety bred for sweetness, as a result, it is significantly more explosive than other varieties, giving it its name. It was originally developed as the "Confectioner's Pumpacracker", but the new name rose to popularity after its explosive nature became known to the public. Its explosiveness makes it fairly dangerous, firing its seeds with enough force to penetrate the skin and even shatter glass with volume that can damage hearing, as such, it is considered dangerous and many islands have rules against growing it without special containment. It is one of the most productive variety, despite being significantly smaller than other types, the sheer amount of produce more than makes up for that. Growers of this dangerous crop can often make a good amount of profit from them as candied chunks of it are a very popular snack.
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