Pumpkins
Covered In This Article:
 Notes
from Cheri:
Pumpkins. Does any other food remind us more that
autumn has arrived? They make their first appearance
warding off evil spirits on Halloween and stick
around till Thanksgiving, or even Christmas in
the form of pumpkin pies, cakes, cookies and a
host of other delicious dishes. |
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There's more to pumpkins than great taste. This humble, inexpensive
food is also nutritious, being rich in beta carotene, potassium,
Vitamin C, calcium and fiber. Pumpkins are a dieter's best friend
as well. They are very low in fat and only about 180 calories per
cup.
You can get pumpkin purée in cans at the supermarket,
which is an easy way to get pumpkin for any recipes you might
want to make. It's one of the few cases where the quality of the
canned product is about equal to fresh (with a whole lot less
hassle). You can also make your own purée by roasting
fresh pumpkins (see below).
When buying fresh pumpkins, check for soft spots. This is a
sure sign that the pumpkin is too old and is starting to go bad.
The type of pumpkin you'll want to buy depends on it's intended
use.
 If
you plan to carve Jack-o-Lanterns, then you'll probably want one
of those "big old monster pumpkins" that weighs in excess 8 pounds.
This type will give you lots of carving area. Just make sure you
have a pumpkin that has a level bottom, so it can easily stand upright.
A novel idea for carving Jack-O-Lanterns is to turn your pumpkin
on it's side and use the stem as a "nose". No matter how you carve
your pumpkin, however, there's nothing like the "Pumpkin Masters"
carving kits. These inexpensive kits (around $5.00) come with
a variety of small saws and tools that make it easy to carve intricately
impressive designs into any pumpkin. The kit also comes with a
collection of stunning patterns that you can use, although it's
also fun to come up with your own.
While the flesh of the large pumpkins used for carving Jack-O-Lanterns
is not the best for cooking, their seeds are great. Follow
this link to directions on how to roast them for a healthful
snack that's rich in vitamins B and E.
Follow this link
for our Halloween Channel with Jack O' Lantern carving instructions,
tips and free patterns!
If you want to cook fresh pumpkins, look for smaller varieties,
especially the "sugar pumpkin" or Kabocha
Squash.
In order to cook fresh pumpkin, heat the oven to 350° F.
Split the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp.
Place pumpkin halves, cut side down on a baking
sheet and bake for about one hour or until very tender when
pierced with a fork. Spoon the soft pulp out of the shell and
use it in recipes.
 Miniature
pumpkins make impressive individual baking and serving dishes. Cut
a circle out around the stem (as you would when carving a Jack-O-Lantern)
and scrape out the seeds and pulp. Scrape out some of the flesh
from the sides of the pumpkin as well, in order to make room for
your stuffing. Keep the lids in tact. Place pumpkins and lids in
a baking dish and add about an inch of water. Bake at 350°F
for about 30 minutes. You want the pumpkins to be somewhat cooked,
but still firm. Carefully stuff the pumpkins with corn pudding,
vegetables, such as green beans or peas or even corn bread stuffing.
Return stuffed pumpkins to the oven and bake until stuffing is cooked.
Serve each guest their own stuffed mini-pumpkin.
 So
now you know a lot about fall's most fabulous fruit. Here are some
recipes to help your tastebuds get better acquainted with pumpkins.
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