I'm conducting an informal survey, how many of you use canned pumpkin for your fall cooking? How many of you roast your own pumpkin?I don't know if it's the Mexican or the loving-to-do-things-from-scratch or the recycler in me but I truly enjoy cooking up my own pumpkin. What a great way to save a few bucks and to get tastier, healthier pumpkin! Can you imagine how many poor carved pumpkins get thrown out (or smashed) after halloween? Think of all that good juicy pumpkin meat (I think it's called meat) going to waste. How very sad.
So, to help you roast your own pumpkin this fall, follow the simple instructions below. I'm sure we'll be able to get some after-halloween pumpkins on sale soon so be sure to pick up some cheap pumpkins and try roasting them yourself!
Pumpkin Roasting 101
1. Cut the stem off your pumpkin. Cut your pumpkin into four big pieces using a big sharp knife.
2. Scoop out any remaining seeds (wash and dry for later roasting!) and throw out stringy pumpkin goo.
3. Place your pumpkin quarters onto baking sheets face down.
4. Cover with foil.
5. Bake at 350 for 1-2 hours or until pumpkin meat is soft and can be scooped out easily.
6. Remove pumpkin from oven and let cool.
7. Scoop out pumpkin meat.
You can use your newly cooked pumpkin right away, put it in the refrigerator or freeze it in plastic containers. I have two containers in my freezer I'm saving for Thanksgiving and one container in my fridge for pumpkin eating through the week.
12 comments:
I am a guilty one who buys pumpkin in a can. You make it sound so easy to use fresh pumpkin. Maybe I will give it a try!!
I like to put mine through a food processor so that it's smoother! YUM! I gotta get some pumpkins!!!
Heather: Don't feel guilty! Just try roasting a pumpkin yourself and see how easy it is!
Jenny: Great tip about the food processor. Mine sometimes turns out stringy.
I didn't even know people roasted their own pumpkins! You're amazing!
You use the pumpkin after you carved it? I put a candle in mine and sit it outside fro a few days, so I've never done that. And, actually I've never used a big pumpkin for baking like the one we carve. My dad grows these small pumpkins - actually they're a squash. I use that for pumpkin pies. It's delish! I also use a can sometimes though. I have four pumpkin/squash thingys and 2 butternut squash I have to use up from my dad' garden!
Kelly: It's no biggy. I really think it's a Mexican thing. My dad was telling me about how his mom used to use all parts of everything (even cows and pigs - yuck!) and pumpkin candies were a tradition. My mom-in-law too (a full-blooded Mexicana) makes pumpkin empanadas every year. Believe me, roasting is way easier than how I prepared pumpkins last year . . . I tried cutting it off the skin and into little chunks then I boiled it. Not fun.
KT: Wish I could share in all your gourd bounty! I love eating all kinds of squash and I've even gotten Matt to kind of like it. does your big halloween pumpkin get moldy inside from the candle heat? I suppose you couldn't roast it up then.
Kelly: Wanted to add one more note about pumpkin eating. My sister and her husband (who is a native new zealander) eat pumpkin all year round. They cut it up and roast it with other squash and veggies. they just drizzle olive oil over a roasting pan of cut up pumpkin, squash, potatoes, carrots, or whatever they have on hand and sprinkle spices (my fave on these is rosemary).
interesting post alicia. like katie said, i have only baked with squash instead of pumpkins. i only managed to get one pumpkin from my dad's garden this year... i have it on our front porch, but the squirrels beat me to it. ...you do sound like you know your way around the kitchen!
all i have to say is i LOVE pumpkin!!!!!!!!!
Hey Al - thanks for the pumpkin encouragement! All i can get here in N Africa is the real stuff, so no cans for me ;) I love that idea from Shawna - roasting it with the veggies. i do that drizzle olive oil& herbs thing too, but don't have too many veggies here to choose from. I've never thought of adding pumpkin. Yum!
Sarah: I mean inside down. I'm confused by your straining the water question. I just scoop out the meat stuff and then mash it up with a potato masher. I suppose you could strain it before you mash it but I'd imagine the pumpkin juice would make the mashing easier. Maybe you cooked it too long? Or maybe I didn't cook mine long enough to get juice? What was your pumpkin-straining accident? Sounds bad - that pumpkin gets vvvvvvvvvvvvery hot after all that baking.
Bex: Ah, if only we could get pumpkin here for more than just the month of October. I was in shock this week when I went to the grocery store to find all the pumpkins vanished. :(
Just wanted to let you know that your post inspired to broaden my horizons and try baking my own pumpkin. I found 2 small pumpkins a few days before Thanksgiving and then the day before Thanksgiving I followed your instructions and my pumpkins turned out Awesome and so did my Pumpkin Pies!! Thanks!!
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