Pumpkin!! (Cooking)

How to Cook a Pumpkin

Ok, so I know I should have gotten this out right after Halloween because that's when everyone was wondering what to do with their pumpkins.  Sorry this is late, but not so late that you can't have some made up in a jiffy for Thanksgiving next week.

So you've got this pumpkin and your thinking "what do I do with this thing??".  Well you have a few options and really you don't need a whole lot of tools.
You want to start by deciding which way you want to cook your pumpkin:

• Boil
• Bake
• Slow Cooker

Tools you will need are either a masher (yes, a potato masher), blender, or food processor. This is how you get that smooth consistency of what canned pumpkin is.

I'm going to basically tell you how to do each method so that you can decide which way you want to cook your pumpkin. Pumpkin is good in the freezer for 12 months.

Boil

1. Wash the outside of your pumpkin with either a wet paper towel or just run it under luke warm water and dry off.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half.  I cut it top to bottom because it makes it easier.
3. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff.  Save the seeds if you want to roast them.
4. Finish cutting up the pumpkin into small pieces. About 2" X 2".
5. You are then going to take the knife and kind of "shave" off the skin.  I do this while leaving the pumpkin piece on the cutting board and shave down to the cutting board. (I'll try to get some pics posted if this sounds confusing). Put pumpkin pieces in a sauce pot.
6. Add just enough water to cover pumpkin and bring to a boil.
7. Boil until pumpkin is done, about 20-25 min.
8. Drain water and either mash, blend, or puree in the food processor until smooth.
9. Package in a plastic freezable container.  Let cool before putting in freezer.

Bake

1. Wash the outside of your pumpkin with either a wet paper towel or just run it under luke warm water and dry off.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half.  I cut it top to bottom because it makes it easier.
3. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff.  Save the seeds if you want to roast them.
4. This is where it gets easy!! Cut pumpkin pieces in half again so that they will fit on a cookie sheet. Arrange on a cookie sheet and add about 1/4-1/2 cup of water to cookie sheet (I add water after I put it in the over right before I close the door).
5. Bake at 400 deg for about 40 min or until flesh of pumpkin is soft.
6. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. As soon as you can handle the pumpkin, scoop the flesh away from the skin.
8. Mash, blend, or puree in the food processor until smooth.
9.  Package in a plastic freezable container.  Let cool before putting in freezer.

Slow Cooker

This is by far the easiest way to cook pumpkin!! It's good if you have a large crockpot and/or small pumpkin.

1. Wash the outside of your pumpkin with either a wet paper towel or just run it under luke warm water and dry off.
2. Cut the stem off the pumpkin.
3. Poke the pumpkin with a fork about 4-5 times.
4. Cook pumpkin in the slow cooker for about 8 hours. When it’s ready, a fork should easily slide through the skin and the flesh.
5. Let the pumpkin cool until you can touch. Then cut open, remove the seeds and scoop flesh away from skin.
6.  Mash, blend, or puree in the food processor until smooth.
7.  Package in a plastic freezable container.  Let cool before putting in freezer.

We absolute love cooked pumpkin around our house.  We use it in home baked goods, pancakes, and even added into mac n cheese (they don't even taste it)! I hope to get some yummy baked goods recipes out to you in the next few days so you have something to do with all the pumpkin you're going to cook!

Happy cooking!

Amanda