# Annual query



## cafeandy (Oct 19, 2004)

this comes up every year, i'm sure, but never from me...

i got a good deal on some organic sugar pumpkins to make some pies with.  however, all i have lying in the grass at this point is some pumpkins.  now what?  how do i get the pumpkins to the point where they are suitable for pies?  i want to peel and boil [or boil and peel] but i know it HAS to be more complicated than that.

any help?


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## middie (Oct 19, 2004)

umm... buy canned?
no i'm kidding. i 
honestly don't have a
clue though. sorry


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## PA Baker (Oct 19, 2004)

Actually, there's a thread in this category from a couple weeks ago where we had this exact discussion.  We weren't kidding and all agreed that canned pumpkin actually is the way to go--seriously.  It comes down to knowing the quality of the pumpkin you're getting plus a major time savings with no reduction in the quality of your final product.

I say have fun carving the pumpins for Halloween, toast up the seeds for a snack, and buy some canned pumpkin for the pies!


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## kansasgirl (Oct 19, 2004)

I just cut them in quarters and remove the strings and the seeds.  Bake them in a 350F oven until they are soft, about 45 mins.  Scoop the flesh from the seeds and strain to remove excess liquid. Process the warm flesh in a food processor or blender and strain again to make a nice dense pulp. Freeze it in 1 c portions for later use. Sugar pumpkins are wonderful with a nice creamy flesh and rich flavor - almost a bit like butternut or kabocha squash.  What kinds of recipes do you have for the pumpkns? Here is a fun favorite.

Pumpkin Tapioca
1 sugar pumpkin, 3-4 pounds 
2 tb sugar 
1 ts cinnnamon 
Filling: 
3 eggs 
2 c milk 
1 c sugar 
pinch of salt 
3 tb tapioca, quick cooking 
2 ts vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350F
1.Cut the top of the pumpkin as you would for a jack-o-lantern. Scoop out the seeds. 
2.Mix the 2 tb sugar and the cinnamon in a bowl, drop into the pumpkin and coat the inside thoroughly.
3.Place the pumpkin on a pie plate and bake, with the lid on, for 35-40 minutes. 
4.In a sauce pot, whip the eggs. Add the cup of sugar, the milk, the salt, and the tapioca. Blend with a whip, set aside and allow to sit for 10 minutes. 
5.Over medium high, cook the tapioca mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens. 
6.Remove the pumpkin from the oven, remove the top and pour in the tapioca. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top, place the whole thing back in the oven, uncovered, and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to stand for 10 minutes.
7.Serve the tapioca filled pumpkin on a tray. To serve, scrape some of the pumpkin flesh from the inside of the pumpkin along with the tapioca.


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## Audeo (Oct 19, 2004)

Ditto to PA Baker's comments.  Here's the link to save you the search:

http://www.discusscooking.com/viewtopic.php?t=3968


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## cafeandy (Oct 19, 2004)

Audeo said:
			
		

> Ditto to PA Baker's comments.  Here's the link to save you the search:
> 
> http://www.discusscooking.com/viewtopic.php?t=3968




it's not about convience in this case...it's about the craft.


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## kansasgirl (Oct 19, 2004)

I agree cafeandy. Although there are many finely made convenience products, there is something about cooking totally from scratch that is exciting. Good luck - try the recipe I posted - it is total comfort food!


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## jasonr (Oct 20, 2004)

"it's not about convience in this case...it's about the craft."

Normally I would totally agree. However, even my fanciest cookbooks say that canned pumkpin is just as good as doing it from scratch. In this particular case, doing it from scratch would appear to have little or no benefit. As a certified baking snob, I find this to be rather depressing, but what can you do?


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## Konditor (Oct 20, 2004)

Bake a sugar pumpkin (halved, place cut-side down in an uncovered dish) at 375° until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork..  A 4-pound pumpkin can yield 1½ to 2 cups of purée.   

Pumpkin Custard (which I expect to bake for an upcoming private-party dinner booking):

2 lbs. pumpkin, peeled & diced
1 quart homogenized milk
3-inch strip of orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
12 large eggs
12 ounces granulated sugar
4 fl. oz. _pure_ maple syrup
Juice of 1 orange
½ lb. fresh cranberries
4 fl. ounces whipped cream

Heat oven to 300°.

Blanch pumpkin for 5 minutes in boiling water; drain.  In saucepan, combine milk, peel, and cinnamon sticks; plunge hot pumpkin into milk.  Slowly simmer until flesh is tender.

In bowl, beat eggs & sugar until foamy.  Pour over strained milk-&-pumpkin mixture; transfer to stainless bowl and purée until very smooth.

Brush bottom & sides of large custard mold with clarified butter; coat with sugar.  Pour pumpkin mixture into mold; place mold in water bath; bake about 50 minutes, or until just set.  Chill properly.

Brink maple syrup & orange juice to soft boil, add cranberries, and boil  minutes.  Cool, cover, then chill.

Presentation:  Unmold onto service dish; top with whipped cream; spoon sauce around perimeter.


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## marmalady (Oct 20, 2004)

CafeAndy, I totally respect your wanting to do it for the 'craft'. 

And I would use the suggestion of baking the pumpkin rather than boiling it.  While most of the 'old-timey' instructions for cooking pumpkin do call for peeling it, cutting it then boiling it til done, this process is messy, and dilutes the pumpkin flavor, so then when you puree it, you have to really cook it down to get the consistency you need for a pie filling.

Roasting it, on the other hand, allows some of the moisture from the pumpkin to escape during the process, it concentrates the flavors, and is soooo much easier to peel afterwards!

Oh and by the way - roast the seeds on a sheet while you're doing the pumpkin, for nibblers!


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## cafeandy (Oct 20, 2004)

thanx for all the input folks.  like i said, this is just something i want to do because i can.  the kids can't wait.

my wife's grandmother used to boil pumpkins but they were just shy of flavorless.  she also used jack o lantern pumpkins...kinda stringy.  she also used a hand-held potato masher instead of a blender/processor to puree it...but she did it.

this is going to be fun.  i plan on using the recipes you folks sent and i'll make the customary pies and my own recipe for pumpkin creme brulee.

it has occured to me that this is kinda like sweet potatoes.  it's much better to bake them than boil them for mashing.  when you boil sweet potatoes you never get all the water out and they wind up water.  i think pumpkin is much the same.


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## debthecook (Oct 20, 2004)

I do it pilgrim style every year, peel the sugar pumkin, cut into wedges and boil in a little water till soft, then mash it up.  Use as recipe instructs.


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