Pumpkins are showing up everywhere and they are so beautiful to keep around, until the day you discover a growing moldy spot on the back! Yuck! It is past time to cut up and cook the pumpkin.
I was given a very large pumpkin from a friend’s garden this summer (yes, this summer). I cut it up, cooked the pumpkin and froze the cooked pumpkin puree for year round pumpkin dishes.
Here is a simple ‘how to’ when processing a large (or small pumpkin).
Choose your pumpkin…I chose the big one.
(Actually it was my husband who put the pumpkin on the counter and cut it…then I had no choice but to finish the process…)
Cut open the pumpkin. Simple enough…
Clean out the insides. Keep the seeds for salting and toasting! Very nutritious and delicious!
It also gives little hands a job to do.
The next few photos you may skip if you have an average size or small pumpkin. But, if you are cutting up a gigantic pumpkin…proceed.
Foray massive sized pumpkin, go ahead and peel it,
chop it into cubes
and place in a large steamer. Cover it and cook until pumpkin is tender.
Make sure you have your water on to boil while cutting up the pumpkin. Then it’s ready to cook when the pumpkin is ready.
If you don’t have a large steamer you can place the pumpkin in the oven with a bit of water in the pans.
Bake at 350. Use a fork to check for tenderness. Maybe 20 minutes or so… for larger cubes.
You can also turn your cut and cleaned out pumpkin halves (bowls) upside down on a pan and bake at 350. This is the way I cook small pumpkins.
They don’t take long at all to cook.
Then all you have to do is scrape out the cooked pumpkin into your dish.
When cooking a large pumpkin, I found steaming the pumpkin was actually faster.
Once the pumpkin is done, place the cooked pumpkin cubes into your blender and blend away!
The pumpkin puree is ready for freezing (when cooled) or for baking or soups or pies or whatever!!! Even smoothies!
Try a Vegan version of Pumpkin Pie here.
Notice the large pumpkin seeds from this particular pumpkin in the pic above.
This was the contents of my huge pumpkin (minus two cups – there was a pie in the oven). I am enjoying pumpkin dishes all fall and will continue year round!
So, don’t be afraid of that one huge pumpkin in the back of the pumpkin patch, and by all means…don’t carve it and leave it to rot with a candle in it!
Get it, take it home and put some work into it so you and your family can enjoy fall pumpkin treats all year.
What pumpkin dishes are your favorite?
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