Pumpkins and More

Pumpkins are a traditional part of many favorite holiday menus and a tasty way to add important vitamins into your diet. A pumpkin's orange pulp is an excellent source of vitamin A and a great source of fiber and potassium. Including pumpkin in your holiday menus can be added fun for the whole family.

Pumpkin can be served cooked (roasted, baked, steamed), or made into soups, pies, or baked goods. Pumpkin seeds also make a great snack. They are high in iron and fat, but the fat is the "good kind," unsaturated, that tends to lower "bad" cholesterol levels, or LDL.

Never eat pumpkins that have been carved and used for decoration. When a pumpkin has not been refrigerated and exposed to candle heat, it can become ideal for bacteria and mold growth and a risk for food-borne illness.

Picking A Pumpkin

If you'd like to try "fresh" pumpkin in your holiday recipes this year, here are some tips.

The best pumpkin for cooking is a "pie pumpkin" or "sweet pumpkin."  These are smaller than the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins, and the flesh is sweeter and less watery.  Look for a pumpkin with 1 to 2 inches of stem left.  If the stem is cut down too low, the pumpkin will decay quickly or may be decaying at the time of purchase.  Estimate one pound of raw, untrimmed pumpkin for each cup finished pumpkin puree.

Plan a trip to a nearby pumpkin patch to pick your pumpkins.  Kids of all ages will love the search for the perfect pumpkin, whether it’s for cooking, carving, or decorating.  While you’re there, you can sample apple cider, check out scarecrows, and get ideas for pumpkin carving.  If you plan to carve a pumpkin for Halloween, go to the pumpkin patch just before you’ll carve.  Then you can get Halloween carving pumpkins and extras for cooking all at once.

Preparing & Cooking The Pumpkin

Pumpkins store well once you bring them home.  Like any winter squash, pumpkins should not be refrigerated unless cut.  Store them in a garage or basement, preferably a cool, dark, and dry spot where the temperature range is about 50 to 55 degrees.  Stored this way, your pumpkins will easily last 1 or 2 months.

Preparing The Puree

Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the stem, scoop out the seeds and scrape away all of the stringy mass.  Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and rinse them in cold water.  Place pieces in a large pot with about a cup of water (the water does not need to cover the pumpkin pieces).

Cover the pot and boil for 20 to 30 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.  Check to see if it is done by poking with a fork.  The pumpkin should slide right off the fork tines with little or no resistance (similar to testing boiling potatoes to see if they are cooked).  Drain the cooked pumpkin in a colander.

When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, remove the peel using a small, sharp knife.  Put the peeled pumpkin in a food processor and puree or use a potato masher to form a puree.

Other Holiday Fare articles

Holiday Meal Planning
Eat Your Veggies
Making Sugar Count
Selecting Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Talking Turkey for the Holidays