Pumpkin Pie Tip 2

  

    So now that you have purchased your beautiful cooking pumpkin, how do you cook it? Well first admire it a day or two, then …

Tip #2

How to cook a pumpkin for pumpkin pie? Well there are a lot of ways to cook it and most of them will work. I know I have tried most of them but this method is the simplest and quickest way to cook a pumpkin. Especially if you are going to cook several at one time. You might as well get them all done at once!

Pre-heat oven 350◦F. Cut your pumpkin in half. Take a large pan with sides (a jelly roll pan works great) and pour water about ½ inch deep. Set pumpkins in water, cut side down. Bake anywhere from 1 hour to 1 ½ hours. When you can pierce the flesh with a knife and feel it is soft, it is done. Pull out pan and let the pumpkins cool until you can handle them.

A food processor works best, but you can use a blender or immersion stick. Take one half of you pumpkin, holding the skin side very gently scoop out the seeds/gunk and throw away (or you can save the seeds). Then gently scoop out the flesh into the processor, making sure not to get the skin. Then puree for a minute or two, until smooth.

Pureed pumpkin freezes beautifully. I fill little sandwich baggies with 1 cup scoop. When those have frozen, then I put them all into large freezer bags. You can thaw this pumpkin for your pie. You can also throw frozen pumpkin in things like stew or chili. Very easy and most importantly, you have avoided peeling that pumpkin, a very tedious step!

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Tip 1

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Tip 4

Tip 5

Comments

[Angie]

Yay! Pumpkin time is here! Great tips!

[Gill]

Once I have pureed the pumpkin in the food processor, I pour it into a fine sieve over a bowl and let it drip any excess liquid out. Then I freeze in measured amounts. I return the frozen pumpkin to the sieve to thaw and remove more liquid again. It isn't usually so much that it effects the recipe quantity, but it does help it to be firmer and more the consistancy of canned pumpkin. Thinking of which, I must go to my freezer and find a pack because it is Pumpkin Pie for dessert tomorrow!

[Linda Colantino]

Hi Clarice! I always learn so much from you! Interesting pumpkin posts.

[Bernideen's Tea Time Blog]

Great information which I shall print out and put in my pumpkin file folder!

[Marilyn]

Nice!
Thought you might save the seeds before cooking.