Growing supersized vegetables is a long-standing tradition for gardeners and farmers. You can’t go to a county or state fair without seeing those blue ribbons for the largest and the best. But how big and heavy can vegetables get?
What are the heaviest vegetables in the world? The heaviest vegetable of all time is the pumpkin, with the heaviest weighing in at over 2,600 pounds, which is just a little lighter than a Mini Cooper. Technically the pumpkin is a fruit, but it is commonly thought to be a vegetable. If the technical definition of a vegetable is used, then the largest would be cabbage, with the heaviest head of cabbage weighing in at over 125 pounds.
Below are the world’s heaviest vegetables listed from lightest to the heaviest, according to the Guinness World Records, which is one of the most reputable and reliable sources for record-breaking vegetables like those on this list. We’ve included information on what the average-sized vegetables you might find at the grocery store would weigh so that you can appreciate just how big some of these are.
The Heaviest of the Lightweight Vegetables
These first vegetables may not sound very heavy to you, but they generally don’t grow very large, to begin with. These are the heaviest of the light vegetables.
The World’s Heaviest Chili Pepper
- Average weight of Chili Pepper: about 1 ounce
- Weight of the world’s heaviest chili pepper: 14.1 oz (.42 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2018
The World’s Heaviest Bell Pepper
- Average weight of bell pepper: less than half a pound (4-8 ounces)
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Bell Pepper: 1 lb 9.39 ounces (.72 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2018
The World’s Heaviest Garlic
- Average weight of garlic: about 2 to 4 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Garlic: 2 lb 10 oz (1.19 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 1985
The Worlds Heaviest Eggplant (Aubergine)
- Average weight of Eggplant: around 5 ounces, but can get up to a pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Eggplant: 6 lb 11.93 ounces (3.06 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2018
The World’s Heaviest Taro Root
- Average weight of taro root: around 3 pounds
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Taro Root: 7 lb (3.19 kg)
- Location: China
- Year: 2009
The World’s Heaviest Tomato
- Average weight of tomato: around 8 ounces with small varieties like cherry weighing less than an ounce
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Tomato: 9 lb 10.4 oz (4.377 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2019
The World’s Heaviest Potato
- Average weight of a potato: less than a pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Potato: 10 lb 14 oz (4.98 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2011
The World’s Heaviest Parsnip
- Average weight of a parsnip: less than 4 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Parsnip: 17 lb 4.9 oz (7.85 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2011
The World’s Heaviest Brussel Sprout
- Average weight of a Brussel sprout: less than 1 ounce
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Brussel Sprout: 18 lb 3 oz (8.3 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 1992
The World’s Heaviest Onion
- Average weight of an onion: around half a pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Onion: 18 lb 11.84 oz (8.5 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2014
The Vegetable Midweight Contenders
As you can see, the heaviest lightweight vegetables in the world are still huge when compared to their average size counterparts. Now, on to some astonishing mid-sized vegetables that are far from average.
The World’s Heaviest Carrot
- Average weight of a carrot: under 4 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Carrot: 22 lb 7.04 ounces (10.17 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2017
The World’s Heaviest Cucumber
- Average weight of a cucumber: about 11 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Cucumber: 23 lb 7 oz (12.9 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2015
The World’s Heaviest Turnip
- Average weight of a turnip: around 4 ounces, but can grow up to 2 pounds
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Turnip: 39 lb 3 oz (17.7 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2004
The World’s Heaviest Jicama (Yam Bean)
- Average weight of jicama: usually around a pound, but can be around 6 pounds
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Jicama: 46 lb 4.8 oz (21 kg)
- Location: Indonesia
- Year: 2008
The World’s Heaviest Beetroot
- Average weight of beetroot: 4 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Beetroot: 52 lb 14 oz (23.995 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2019
The World’s Heaviest Red Cabbage
- Average weight of a head of red cabbage: one pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Red cabbage: 52 lb 3.98 ounces (23.7 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2018
The World’s Heaviest Broccoli
- Average weight of broccoli: around 10 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Broccoli: 35 lb (15.87 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 1993
The World’s Heaviest Cauliflower
- Average weight of a cauliflower: around a pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Cauliflower: 60 lb 9.3 oz (27.48 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 2014
The World’s Heaviest Zucchini (Courgette)
- Average weight of a zucchini: half a pound with larger being a full pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Zucchini: 64 lb 8 oz (29.25 kg)
- Location: United Kingdom
- Year: 1990
The World’s Heaviest Radish
- Average weight of a radish: less than an ounce to 1 pound depending on the variety
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Radish: 68 lb 9 oz (31.1 kg) with a circumference of 46. 8 inches (119 cm)
- Location: Japan
- Year: 2003
The World’s Heaviest Sweet Potato
- Average weight of sweet potato: varies widely, generally between 4 ounces and a pound
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Sweet Potato: 81 lb 9 oz (37 kg)
- Location: Spain
- Year: 2004
The Heavyweight Champions of Vegetables
And now we move on to the heaviest of the heavy. These vegetables are seriously HUGE, some weighing more than a person and others measuring in at car sized proportions.
The World’s Heaviest Kale
- Average weight of kale: a bunch of kale is typically around 8 ounces
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Kale: 105 lb 14.5 oz (48.04 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2007
The World’s Heaviest Cabbage
- Average weight of a cabbage: 2 pounds
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Cabbage: 138.25 lb (62.71 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2012
The World’s Heaviest Gourd
- Average weight of a gourd: varies widely, 100 pounds for the bushel gourd variety which is the variety of the record holder
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Gourd: 384.5 lb (174.41 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2018
The World’s Heaviest Squash
- Average weight of a squash: 3 pounds, but it can vary widely
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Squash: 2,118 lb (960.70 kg)
- Location: United States
- Year: 2017
The World’s Heaviest Pumpkin
This pumpkin would make one heavy jack o lantern, but that prize is already taken by a 2,077-pound squash.
- Average weight of a pumpkin: varies widely, but 15 pounds is a good middle ground
- Weight of the world’s heaviest Pumpkin: 2,624 lb 9.6 ounces (1,190.49 kg)
- Location: Germany
- Year: 2016
While technically, the top three heaviest on this list are fruit (because their seeds are on the inside), most people think of them as vegetables. If you aren’t satisfied with these pseudo-veggies, then there are plenty of others on this list that grow to monstrous proportions.
So, are you inspired to start growing on of these supersized vegetables? It all starts with a tiny seed and selecting the right variety will start you off in the right direction. With some research, know-how, and a little luck, you could be the next world record holder!
