How to Clean and Cook Pumpkin, Plus Tips

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I always put a tablespoon of Brer Rabbit Mollassis in my pumpkin pies 

 

How to Clean and Cook Pumpkinwww.almanac.com

Here are tips on how to clean a pumpkin for cooking—plus five delicious pumpkin recipes!

First, scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush.

Cut the pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scrape out the fibers and the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.

Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces, then place them skin side up in a shallow baking dish.

Add water to just cover the bottom of the dish, and cover tightly.

Bake in a 325ºF oven until the pumpkin is fork tender. The time will vary depending on the size of your pieces.

Let it cool, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.

TIP: For pumpkins that you're not cooking right away, keep them cool but not quite as cool as root crops. If you have a coolish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65ºF.

Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Cookies: When you purchase a pumpkin for your Halloween jack-o-lantern, buy an extra one and make these light-yellow cookies.

Pumpkin Pancakes: For a tasty twist on the ordinary, try our seasonal pancake recipe.

Pumpkin Harvest Soup: Savor this savory soup on a cool autumn evening.

Blue Ribbon Pumpkin Pie: Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie? Bake this award-winning pumpkin pie from our Blue Ribbon Recipes Cookbook!

TIP: Eating pumpkin pie may encourage sleepiness.

Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe

Mix the following in a jar:

·         1/3 cup ground cinnamon

·         1 tablespoon ground ginger

·         1 tablespoon ground nutmeg or mace

·         1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

·         1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice.

For pumpkin pie, add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of spice mix to your other ingredients.

TIP: Sprinkle a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix into your carved pumpkin before lighting the candle.

 

 

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