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Making fresh pumpkin is easy and worth it
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This proves just how delicious pumpkin truly is...sweet enough that they eat their young!
I’m here to praise pumpkin.
If you buy these gargantuan gourds for show more than for serving as a foodstuff, this article may be for you. I’m here to help you think outside the box, for timely is pumpkin’s transformation from decoration to delicious, and that time is now.
Conventional wisdom tells us that it’s simple enough to cut a hole at the top, pull/scrape out the seeds once inside, and, if compelled, to instill character and a personality through your decorative efforts. So, how does one go about making edible items out of this seasonal stalwart?
Well, since Halloween is now over, bring that bad boy (or girl...hey, I don’t claim to know every pumpkin’s sex) inside and let’s see if we can reuse/recycle something that likely cost you a pretty penny.
Pumpkin is actually a pretty simple ingredient to prepare, and once you learn how to extract its flavorful flesh, you’ll soon master those recipes…you know, the ones that have always wowed you, yet you were afraid to try making yourself since they called for “fresh” pumpkin.
And your mastery of how to use the “real deal” - instead of that stuff in the can - may occur faster than you think…
Why so? Well, with their massive presence, preparing a fresh pumpkin means LOTS of fresh pumpkin needs to be used. It’s pretty easy to work with, and you’ll be an expert in little time.
So, if making a batch of fresh pumpkin, plan ahead. Since it freezes well, making pie-sized (or for other items i.e. bread-sized and soup-sized) amounts for frozen storage works nicely. Otherwise, you’ll be making things with pumpkin for weeks like you’re forced to make everything with turkey after Thanksgiving.
Baked/steamed pumpkin, out of the oven and ready to be scraped
To “make” pumpkin, start by choosing either a large sheet pan or a broad casserole dish. Preheat your oven to 275ºF. Cut your gutted pumpkin (put those seeds aside for more yummy fun) into either half or into four- to six-inch (rectangular) chunks and place skin-up in your chosen cooking vessel. Add up to a half-inch of water and cover (foil). Bake until the pumpkin is tender, which is at least three (3) hours.
After removing and cooling your efforts, you can now easily scrape the “orange gold” goodness off of the still-bitter skin.
Cooked pumpkin will stay in the fridge for up to 2-to-3 weeks, but you should use it within a few days or make the decision early on (like that first day) to freeze any extra.
Freshly cooked pumpkin makes amazing soups that shine best when kept simple. Breads and cakes come across much lighter when using this fresh product.
In pies, note how much fresh pumpkin’s (flavor) texture moves the bite in your mouth toward a sweet potato/yams kind of taste experience. A fresh pumpkin pie also doesn’t need nearly the amount of sugar, eggs, milk and/or butter to have a great depth of naturally sweet and complete flavor.
It is important to note how there is higher moisture content to the fresh stuff, and this might translate if you’re not careful and could keep your pie from properly “setting” when it bakes. To avoid this, after initially baking and subsequently scraping the fresh gourd, be sure to place the flesh into a colander and press on it a bit to extract any extra water out. Place the pressed pumpkin onto a (paper) towel to assure you’ve maximized your efforts this way.
But pumpkin’s natural hydration subsequently helps to keep your pumpkin pie from “cracking” after it has cooled. This will help make breads, cookies, muffins and cakes really moist, too.
Look for three more pumpkin recipes to come – one for a fabulous and easy-to-make soup, one for a spicy-sweet method for dealing with all of those pumpkin seeds, and one for a pumpkin juice that will have your holiday party guests talking about it and you for years.
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