To Roast or Not to Roast!
By Tawra Kellam
Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin -- Now What does he
do with it?
Every fall I get many questions about what to do
with pumpkins. Many people find curious fascination in imagining
what it would be like to grow these versatile little gems, as if
growing something that produces a large fruit is somehow more respectable
than growing, say, a Serrano pepper. Many people eventually venture
into pumpkin experimentation. Some succeed and many fail. Much like
a dog that chases a car, many people never give thought to what
they would do if they actually succeeded in successfully raising
a patch of these fall favorites. Whether you have found yourself
with more pumpkins than you know what to do with or you are one
of the people who had to buy pumpkins and duct tape them to the
vine, these tips for roasting and using pumpkins are sure to help
you make the most out of them (no matter how you acquired them)!
How to Roast a Pumpkin
You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin!
Do not use on a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for
several days.
To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the
pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves,
hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil
and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F. for 1
½ to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape
pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor
or blender. Mix with a little salt.
To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1-2 cups in freezer
bags along with spices and use in pies.
To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer
with a double layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and
let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking
with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come
out correctly, you MUST strain it.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with salt
or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at
250 degrees F. Stir after 30 minutes. Bake ½-1 hour more
or until crunchy.*squash seeds may also be used.
Pumpkin Smoothies
¾ cup milk or vanilla yogurt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
c tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. brown sugar
4 ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)
sprinkles (optional)
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until
smooth. Pour into 2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped
cream on top. You may also add orange sprinkles if you like. Serves
2-3.
Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
½ cup nuts, chopped (optional)
½ cup pumpkin
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cups milk
Combine ingredients. Stir just until moistened;
batter may be lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush
lightly with vegetable oil. Pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle;
cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to
2 minutes. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and nuts.
Pumpkin Maple Sauce
1 cup maple syrup
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 ¼ cups pumpkin
Mix together until well blended.
Tawra Kellam is the author of the frugal cookbook Not Just
Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites and Halloween
On A Dime. For more free tips and recipes visit our website
at http://www.notjustbeans.com/
