Everywhere you look, you see pumpkins. There are white ones, big ones, small ones, and even Cinderella pumpkins, but if you want to use it later, which one should you choose for baking or cooking?
The best type of pumpkin for cooking and baking It may seem tempting, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking with the big pumpkins you normally get at the pumpkin patch. They tend to be very stringy and not flavorful. Instead, I recommend using a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (pictured above).
On the other hand, I want to stress that virtually any pumpkin will work. If all you can find are the jack o’lantern type, I still encourage you to go for it. You can also try any of the exotic types, like a Cinderella pumpkin or the kind with blobby little warts all over. These are generally going to be more expensive, but they often have a deeper flavor, so they’re worth a try.
You have to begin by choosing the proper sort of pumpkin if you can find one. Now, you actually can cook with any kind of fresh pumpkin. But starting out with a pie pumpkin, or sugar pumpkin is going to help you end up with more pumpkin from less work. Pie pumpkins are smaller, often a little squatty-er in shape, and if you are fortunate, labeled as a baking, pie, or sugar pumpkin. They have drier flesh and thicker walls than a pumpkin you would use for decorating, or to make a jack o’lantern.
But first, we have to get it cooked. When I was a kid, I got to help my Mom and grandmother cook fresh pumpkins. But not everyone has that kind of cooking in their background. In the past week alone I’ve heard from 3 readers, asking me how the heck you cook a fresh pumpkin.
Scoop out all the cooked pumpkin, making sure not to get any of the skin. There are a couple of different ways to do this next part. You want to get all of the cooked pumpkin uniformly squished. I used my food mill this time, but you can also use a food processor, or even an immersion blender to do the job. You want to end up with a very smooth puree.
At this point, it doesn’t really look very much like what you might be used to if you have bought canned pumpkin before. There is still a lot of liquid to get drained out of there. Put a large mesh strainer over a bowl that has a small enough circumference to keep the bottom of the strainer up off the bottom of the bowl. Then, the liquid has a place to collect.
Put the pureed pumpkin in the strainer. You can just let gravity do the work for you, though it takes a while, and I am not patient enough for that. I lay a piece of plastic wrap over the pumpkin, place a small plate on top, and then weigh it down with some cans. This speeds things up quite a bit. It is still going to take at least an hour. In fact, after an hour, I take off the weights, and stir it around some, then put the plastic wrap, plate, and cans back on top and leave it until it stops dripping completely. You really can’t get too much liquid out of there. I got about 2 cups from that one little pumpkin!
Don’t throw that liquid away – if you have chickens, they will love it, as will your dog probably. I use it in smoothies a lot, or save it to use in a soup – it is really good in any kind of veggie or bean soup.
You can use this right away for pies, etc. Or freeze it, and then after thawing, you can use it just the way you would any canned pumpkin. [After thawing, I do usually put it back in a mesh strainer for a few minutes, because there is always a little more liquid, and if you leave it in, your pie or whatever might end up on the watery side.] I package it up in about 1-pound packages, in freezer bags, freezer containers, or saved yogurt containers [if using containers, press parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap right on the surface, to prevent freezer burn] – it will keep in the freezer for about a year. See – easy, right?
When selecting a pumpkin for cooking, save the field pumpkins for your jack o’ lanterns.
These tend to be too large and stringy for baking. Choose smaller ones for baking, those less than 10 pounds, with firm, dense flesh.
In supermarkets you’ll see Sugar Pumpkins as one of the most common baking pumpkins. Often they are labeled “pie pumpkins.” Other types that are great for baking include Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Fairytale and Cinderella Pumpkins, all of which have a good consistency and flavor. You may be able to find these heirloom varieties at farmers markets or local farms.
ROASTED PUMPKINS | How To Cook Pumpkins | Easy Baked Pie Pumpkins
FAQ
Are regular pumpkins good for baking?
Can you use any pumpkin for baking?
Can you cook and eat a regular pumpkin?
Can You bake a whole pumpkin?
For baking a whole pumpkin, all you need is the pumpkin and some water! And although it’s recommended you use sugar pumpkins, you really don’t need to bother buying a special type of pumpkin. They are easier to find at the grocery store and farmer’s markets earlier in the season, but they are smaller pumpkins and generally more expensive.
How can one prepare pumpkin to eat?
The pumpkin can be prepared boiled or baked. In both cases, it can be consumed with the peel and the seeds that will provide fiber. It can also be seasoned with oil and other aromatic seasonings, such as rosemary.
Can you roast a whole pumpkin in the oven?
Roasting a whole pumpkin in the oven cuts down on initial steps and work that this totally unnecessary. Why bother initially scraping out the guts of a pumpkin, and cutting it up? To roast it whole, all you have to do is slice a few venting slits in the sides, put it on a baking dish and bake at for 1 hour at 350.
How long do you bake a pumpkin?
Brush the pumpkin flesh with oil, sprinkle with salt, and place flesh down on the baking sheet. Pierce skin a few times with a fork or knife to let steam escape. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin.