Cooking Pumpkin

[denalismom]

Has anyone had any luck cooking pumpkin? I know they say the pumpkins sold for carving arent really the best for eating but has anyone ever tried it?? I thought if I steamed it until tender then pureed and drained the extra liquid out it might work in a pie? Any other recipe ideas?

katie

[nurscindi]

If you want to cook a raw pumpkin look for the smaller ones, as they will be sweeter and more tender. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and remove the stem. Place on a baking sheet and bake until tender. I can't give you a time frame because it's going to depend on the size of your pumpkin, go for a sweet potatoe consistency. Then take out and remove from the shell. Place that in your blender along with any sugars, spices etc that you are wanting to use and then use it the same way as you would a can of prepared pumpkin. I don't buy the whole ones anymore...takes to long and the yield isn't that great..med size pumpkin around here costs $3-5 and I can get a large can of prepared pumpkin for less than what comes out of the raw one. But they are good ...and you can roast the seeds if you like that.

[GaMomof2Girls]

I think the cooking pumpkins are called "sugar pie". That's what they say at the pumpkin farm where i'm from.

[Megmul]

I have cooked the carving pumpkins, and used them in pumpkin bread and muffins. I have not tried it with pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is so pumpkiny that I'm not sure if it would taste right if you didn't use a sugar pumpkin.

I just slice the pumpkin into managable pieces, and place it peel-side-up in a baking pan. I add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, cover with foil, and bake at about 350 until tender. It will probably take about an hour. Then you can just scoop the pumpkin meat off the peel.

[Admin Jorelanu]

You can also cut the pumpkin into chunks, peel them and toss them into a stockpot with a bit of water. Cook until very soft adding a little more water if/when needed.

Jore

[COLORADO/MOM/3]

I learn so much from all of you, my DH bought pumpkins the other day and said that he would like to try to make pumpkin pie from them, I jokingly said "pumpkin pie doesn't come from pumpkins, it comes from cans." He didn't think my joke was funny. :confused:

[agatha]

I made my Thanksgiving pies last year from carving pumpkins that had been decorations in our yard and they were great! I don't like pumpkin pie to be super sweet though. I also used that pumpkin for breads and soup throughout the year. Just finished up the last of it not too long ago. I'm really glad I took the time to cook them up, puree them and freeze them! :)

[denalismom]

Cool agatha! thanks

[riotgrrl]

i've always used carving pumpkins.. i didn't know you were suppose to. my problem is.. my boyfriend thinks the pies are not dark enough! he wants them darker but they taste fine.. i don't know how to do that. lol.

oh well.

[Admin Jorelanu]

The darkness comes from the variety of pumpkin you use. For the darker pies, I think the canned pumpkin would be the best bet.

Jore

[MomToElizabeth]

You can use carving pumpkins for cooking, but it will be stringier and not as sweet. Pumpkins for cooking really should be in the 5-6 pound range for best results. The ones we have are called "sugar pumpkins". You cook a pumpkin almost exactly like butternut squash. Wash the pumpkin, cut it in two (cut out the stem), scoop out the seads, and place the two halves cut side down in a pan of water (maybe 1" deep). Then cook for 90 minutes (give or take on that depending on size) at 350 degrees. When done, scoop out the pump and puree the mixture in a blender. It is then ready to use in whatever recipe you have.

[MomToElizabeth]

i've always used carving pumpkins.. i didn't know you were suppose to. my problem is.. my boyfriend thinks the pies are not dark enough! he wants them darker but they taste fine.. i don't know how to do that. lol.

oh well.

Add some molassis to the pumpkin puree to get the darker color.

[agatha]

You can use carving pumpkins for cooking, but it will be stringier and not as sweet.


They are definately not as sweet, which is a good thing when making soup! (The food channel on-line has a great receipe for pumpkin and black bean soup!) As for the stringiness, I run mine through my food processer after they are cooked and cooled. Let it sit a bit and drain off some of the water. Easy peasy! :)