By Getty Stewart, Professional Home Economist
Pumpkins make great jack o’lanterns, but if you’re ready to take your pumpkins to the next level, check out these recipes collected from fellow home economists.
Pumpkin Puree – Getting the Good Stuff
Thanks to an original article by Marilee Hornung and Sheri Taylor
To make your own pumpkin puree, pumpkins need to be cooked and then cooled, peeled and pureed. The puree can be frozen and used for up to a year.
To bake, halve the pumpkin removing seeds and strings. Cut into serving-size pieces. Place on a foil-lined pan (to avoid juices burning onto the pan). Pour 1 cm (1/2 inch) of water onto the pan. Cover with foil and bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven until tender, about 40 minutes.
To boil, place the peeled pumpkin in boiling water and cook until tender (about 12 minutes). Although this method is faster, the boiling water will dilute the flavour slightly.
To microwave, place the pumpkin chunks on a shallow microwavable dish. Cover and cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Rotate the dish halfway through the cooking time.
You can mash cooked pumpkin with a potato masher, put it through a food mill or puree it in a blender or food processor. Pumpkin can be very watery, so be sure the pieces are well drained after cooking, then drain the puree again before storing.
Pumpkin is traditionally combined with cream, eggs and spices to make pumpkin pie. When served in a pastry crust, a slice gets almost half of its calories from fat. By substituting evaporated skim milk for the cream, you will cut the fat significantly. If you choose a graham cracker crust, you will cut the fat and calories even more.
Once you have the puree, try some of these pumpkin recipes.
* These same techniques can be used for most winter squash.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
| 1 | unbaked 9 inch (23 cm) pastry shell | 1 |
| 2 | large eggs | 2 |
| 1 cup | brown sugar | 250 mL |
| 1/2 tsp | salt | 2 L |
| 1 1/4 tsp | cinnamon | 6 mL |
| 1/2 tsp | each nutmeg, ginger, allspice | 2 mL |
| 1 1/2 cups | Pumpkin puree (homemade or canned) | 375 mL |
| 1 cup | evaporated milk | 250 mL |
Roll out pastry to fit a 9 inch (23 cm) deep pie plate. Trim and flute edges. Chill about 15 minutes. Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, spices and pumpkin. Add milk and blend until smooth. Bake on lowest oven rack in hot oven at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350° F (180°C) and continue baking 35-45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in filling comes out clean. Cool and serve with dollops of whipped cream.
Pumpkin Soup
Courtesy of previous article by Heather Torrie, Public Health Nutritionist
2 tbsp margarine 25 mL
1 cup onion, chopped 250 mL
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 2
1 – 1 1/2 tsp curry powder 5-7 mL
1/4 tsp ground pepper 1 mL
2 cups canned or pureed pumpkin 500 mL
3 cups chicken broth 750 mL
1 1/2 cups milk 375 mL
Melt margarine in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth and pumpkin. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer soup to blender. Blend until smooth. Return to saucepan and add milk. Serve warm.
Cinnamon Sugar Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Submitted by Kathryn Baranovsky, PHEc. Recipe from the Woman’s Day website.
2 cups Pumpkin Seeds (from 2 medium pumpkins), rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Heat oven to 300°F. Spread the seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until totally dry throughout, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a large bowl (reserve the baking sheet). Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Drizzle the butter over the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and cinnamon, and toss to coat. Spread the seeds in an even layer on the reserved sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Pumpkin Muffins
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
2 eggs 2
1 1/4 cups sugar 300 mL
1/3 cup canola oil 175 mL
1 cup pumpkin puree 250 mL
1/4 tsp baking soda 1 mL
2 1/4 cups flour 550 mL
21/2 tsp baking powder 12 mL
1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
1/2 tsp each nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon 2 mL
Beat eggs until lemon coloured. Add sugar and oil. Add soda to pumpkin puree. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with pumpkin puree to egg mixture, stirring just until blended. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 375°F (190°C) 20 -25 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Makes about 2 dozen muffins.
Pumpkin Pudding
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
The cornmeal and the pumpkin combination in this recipe made for a rich, smooth pudding.
2 cups milk 500 mL
1/3 cup white or yellow cornmeal 75 mL
1/4 cup pure maple syrup 50 mL
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 125 mL
1/4 cup butter 50 mL
1 tsp salt 5 mL
1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 mL
1/2 tsp cloves 2 mL
1/2 tsp allspice 2 mL
1/8 tsp nutmeg .5 mL
1 cup pumpkin puree 250 mL
1 egg, beaten 1
Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C). Using the top of a double boiler bring the milk to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, then place the mixture over the boiling water and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the maple syrup and cook an additional five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in all other ingredients. Pour into a well-greased baking dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until it tests done. Serve warm with whip cream. Serves 4 to 6.
Pumpkin Pickles
Submitted by Mary Jane Eason of Mary Jane’s Cooking School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a registered charity that provides education in nutritional home cooking and homemaking in harmony with individual community and cultural traditions, with respect and care for the environment.
2 cups Vinegar
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
1 Tbsp Pickling Spice (use your favorite spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and whole allspice)
6 to 8 cups Pumpkin peeled and cut into cubes (about 1 pumpkin)
Cook syrup for 15 minutes with pickling spice tied in cheese cloth. Add enough pumpkin for syrup to cover. Cook until pumpkin is glazed. Fill in hot sterilized jars with pumpkin and pour boiling syrup over pickles and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
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Thank you the contribution and work of the Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan for their previously published articles on winter squash on homefamily.net. In particular, thanks to Donna Nelson, Cathy Knox, Barb Wright, Heather Torrie, Dorothy Lang, Marilee Hornung and Sheri Taylor. Their work helped form the basis of this article.
