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Last Foodie Friday, I wrote about how at this time of year, my food choices are governed as much by what I want to smell as by what I want to taste. In some ways, the seasonal “what to smell” question is answered by 2 simple words: pumpkin pie.
Ooh, that magic elixir of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and simple cooked squash. And oh, how the pleasure is enhanced when you know that you got the pumpkin puree from an actual pumpkin, not a can. The pride of having produced a genuine article is just delicious.
If you’ve never cooked a pumpkin before, fear not–it couldn’t be easier. Basically, it can be summed up as: halve, scoop, cover, bake, cool, mash. It’s not only tasty–and nutritious, hello beta-carotene!–but fun.
Here are more detailed instructions for cooking a pumpkin, which I hope you’ll all try. From one small sugar pumpkin I recently cooked down, I got a pie, a huge loaf of pumpkin bread, and a batch of pecan-pumpkin-chocolate-chip muffins. And I had some left over! Pumpkin risotto, anyone?
How to Cook a Pumpkin
1. Choose a bright orange “sugar pumpkin,” devoid of brown or soft spots. Cut off the stem.
2. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. Halve the pumpkin and gently scoop out the seeds and pulp.
4. Separate the seeds from the pulp, and dry them for later roasting!
5. Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, in a glass or metal baking dish.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 60-90 minutes, or until a knife pierced into the pumpkin goes in smoothly.
7. Cool, uncovered, and remove the skin (it should come off in one piece!)
8. Mash with a potato masher, or in a food processor for a smoother puree.
9. Get ready for muffins, quick-breads, and pies!
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posted October 16, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Doesn’t halving a pumpkin require a lumberjack chain saw? I mean, I can’t even cut a butternut squash in half with a butcher knife.
posted October 17, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Sounds delicious! I love pumpkin pie, so cookies and breads, etc sound awesome! I’ve only eaten the stuff out of a can (Libby’s) so I would love to try REAL pumpkin sometime!
posted October 18, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I’ve just halved my pumpkin for baking to make my puree. I took a serrated long bladed knife..one you might use for bread. I took off the stem on top.
I then scored by placing the edge of the knife as deeply into into th pumpkin as I could by pushing down on the blade. I then took a wooden mallet to pound the blade deeper into the pumpkin.
I worked the blade back out of the pumpkin and inserted the point into one side and cut down the side of the pumpkin. I then inserted the knife into the cut on the other side and cut down.
Minimal trouble or none at all in cutting my pumpkin. This was a size extra-large too!
I hope this helps someone else…
Mary
posted October 19, 2009 at 4:12 am
Thank you. I love pumpkin soup but to make my own puree to be used in bread or pie, that sound great because in Holland we don’t get pumpkin puree in bottles and have always wonder how I can make it. Thank you so much.
posted October 19, 2009 at 5:05 am
THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE.I LOVE BETA CAROTENE TOO,AND PUMPKIN PIE IS
THE PERFECT THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON,I WILL TRY TO FOLLOW THE RECIPE,AND
WHEN I THINK IT’S GOOD THE FIRST TRY,ILL BRING SOME AT WORK.
posted October 19, 2009 at 8:20 am
While many don’t know pumkin as a squash is good too. It requires
some cutting. Blue Hubbard Squash is the hardest. So be careful.
You can bake the seeds on 300 degrees for 20 minutes too.
posted October 19, 2009 at 9:20 am
Hi, everyone -
Great tips, Mary! The use of the mallot is particularly inspired.
Kathy, I actually experimented with using my electric serrated knife (aka turkey slicer) this weekend, in the hopes that it would take the brawn out of the pumpkin-halving process.
Long story short….do not try that at home! I’m not sure my slicer will ever be the same.
But I did have another thought, if it’s just too hard to cut the pumpkin. You could probably just remove the stem and bake the pumpkin whole for 20-30 minutes, so it’s just starting to soften. Then you could cool it, cut it in half, cover, and proceed as above. That would probably ruin your seeds for roasting purposes, but save your shoulders and hands!!
Happy pumpkin-ing, all.
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