Do This to Pumpkins

Thanksgiving is coming.  It's not too early to start mapping out some light conversation topics.  It's also a good time to get your pumpkin on.

I think pumpkin, baked and pureed at home, tastes a lot better than canned and worth the extra effort.  So...


1) Buy one or two of these.

Regular pie pumpkins (Sugar Pie, Sugar Baby) aren't too hard to find.  Superior to canned, but get a "B" for color and flavor.

Long Island Cheese - my current favorite.  Sometimes hard to find.  Found one at the farmer's market this year.

Jarrahdale - It's gorgeous slate blue exterior and intense orange interior kills it in the aesthetics category.   Big flavor.  Hard to find around here.

The Fairytale, or Musquee de Provence variety, looks interesting but I've never seen one around Madison.  Let me know if you find something you like.

2) Cut them in half.

That's a really big L.I.C.

3) Bake them, cut side down, in a glass or stainless steel roasting pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife.  Cool enough to handle.

Diggin' the color.

4) Pour off any released liquid.  Remove the seeds then scoop out the pulp.  You can keep the loose stringy stuff.

5) Puree the baked pumpkin flesh in a processor or blender until smooth.

6) Freeze it.  (I freeze in plastic yogurt containers.  Zip lock bags would work. You could use this stuff right away or refrigerate for near-future cooking, but I like to freeze in preparation for the next step.)   You're done until you're ready to use it.

7) Prep it for cooking.  Thaw the puree and place in a mesh strainer over a bowl.  Let it drain for a while.  You could save this broth and use it in soup, or discard.  I think there's too much moisture in the pulp without this step, and freezing seems to release more of it.

8)  Cook with it.