How to Bake a Pumpkin

...or any other type of squash, for that matter...

1. Buy a big pumpin...the cheap kind used for jack o' lanterns will do just fine. In fact, in my opinion it is much nicer to use them for food, as God intended, rather than in imitation of erstwhile pagan traditions, but I digress.

2. Find a big pan. I used my big turkey roaster. Wash the pumpkin

3. Place pumpkin in said pan. I had to saw the stem off, and use the bottom oven rack, in order for it to fit into my oven.

4. Place pan with pumpkin in the oven.

5. Bake it for a couple of hours. Perhaps at 350 degrees Farenheit.

6. Remove from oven, cut it open and let it cool. It will be soft and easy to cut. If it is not, bake it some more.

7. Once it is cool, scoop out the seeds, then get the flesh off the skin (or the skin off the flesh). Save the flesh, discard the rest.

8. Our carving pumpkins actually are much like spaghetti squash on the inside. This will vary by type of squash or pumpkin. Could be eaten as is, or pureed in a food processer to make pies, etc.

9. I pureed all the flesh (13 cups worth) and froze some of it into 4 cup portions, and used the rest for a couple of pies.

10. A great way to put up some cheap food for later in the year.

Pumpkin is good in: pies, pumpkin bread, soups (pumpkin clam chowder comes to mind, but would also be good added to chili), quiche, cheesecake, muffins, pancakes...and hidden as a secret ingredient in spice cake or chocolate cake.

Comments

gemma said…
Now that sounds great. I have never baked a pumpkin although we are fervent squash fans here. I am currently trying out every variety of squash that has appeared at our local market. Now, I must give the pumpkin a shot. It must be so much better than the canned pureed that I always use for the pies.

Thanks for the tips.