You probably take canned pumpkin for granted.
You're there, the can is there, there's a pumpkin on the label... open it and
mix it up with spices to make a pie, right? Ah, but a pumpkin pie made
from a fresh pumpkin tastes so much better than the glop that was processed last
year! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and
completely illustrated. And it is much easier than you think, using my
"patented" tips and tricks!
"Pie pumpkins" are smaller, sweeter, less
grainy textured pumpkins than the usual jack-o-lantern types.
Grocery stores usually carry them in late September through December in
the U.S. Note: the Libby's can of cooked pumpkin is just there
for reference - it is the small can, so that gives you an idea of the size
of a typical pie pumpkin. They're only about 8 inches in diameter.
If you're in a pinch and can't find a pie pumpkin, here's a tip: butternut
squash taste almost the same! Commercial canned pumpkin is from a
variety of butternut, not true pumpkins! If you DO use a regular Jack O'
Lantern type pumpkin, you may need to add about 25% more sugar and run the
cooked pumpkin through a blender or food processor to help smooth it out.
Just like selecting any squash, look for one
that is firm, no bruises or soft spots, and a good orange color.
Step 2 - Prepare the pumpkin for cooking
Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or
warm water, no soap.
Cut the pumpkin in half. A serrated
knife and a sawing motion works best - a smooth knife is more likely to slip
and hurt you! A visitor suggests using a hand saw.
Step 3 - Scoop out the seeds...
And scrape the insides. You want to
get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface. I
find a heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
Note: SAVE THE SEEDS:
The seeds can be used either to plant pumpkins next year,
or roasted to eat this year! Place them in a bowl of water and rub them
between your hands. then pick out the orange buts (throw that
away) and drain off the water. Spread them out on a clean towel or paper
towel to dry and they're ready to save for next year's planting or roast.
Click here for roasting instructions!
(opens in a new window)
Step 4 - Cooking the pumpkin
There are several ways to cook the pumpkin; just choose
use your preferred method. Most people have microwaves, and the use the
least energy, so I'll describe that here. But others make good arguments in
favor of using a pressure cooker, steaming on the stovetop or
baking in the oven. I’ll describe microwaving here, and at the end of this
document, I’ve included alternative instructions to replace step 4, if you’d
rather use a different method.
Put it in a microwaveable bowl
Remove the stem, and put the pumpkin into a
microwaveable. You may need to cut the pumpkin further to make it fit.
The fewer the number of pieces, the easier it will to scoop out the cooked
pumpkin afterwards.
Put a couple of inches of water in the bowl,
cover it, and put in the microwave.
Step 5 - Cook the pumpkin until soft
Cook for 15 minutes on high, check to see if
it is soft, then repeat in smaller increments of time until it is soft
enough to scoop the innards out. Normally it takes 20 or 30 minutes
in total.
Note: You CAN cook it on the stovetop; it
will just take longer (almost twice as long)
Step 6 - Scoop out the cooked pumpkin
Using a broad, smooth spoon, (such as a
tablespoon) gently lift and scoop the cooked pumpkin out of the skin.
It should separate easily an in fairly large chucks, if the pumpkin is
cooked enough.
Step 7 - Puree the pumpkin
To get a nice, smooth consistency, I use a
Pillsbury hand blender. A regular blender works, too (unless you
made a few frozen daiquiris and drank them first..). Or even just a hand
mixer with time and patience.
With the hand blender, it just takes 2 or 3
minutes!
Step
8 - Done with the pumpkin!
The pumpkin is now cooked and ready for the
pie recipe. Get the frozen daiquiris out from step 7 and take a
break! :) You may freeze the pie filling (not NOT can it:
See this page for the
safety reasons why.)
Step 9 - Make the pie crust
Yes, I know there are ready-made pie crusts
in the frozen section at the store, but they really are bland and doughy.
A flaky crust is easy to make!~
It is also time to start preheating the oven.
Turn it on and set it to 400 F (200 C, for those in Europe)
All the hard work is behind you! Here's
where it gets really easy. If you start with a fresh 8" pie pumpkin, you
will get about 3 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin. The right amount of
ingredients for this is as follows:
1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
one half teaspoon ground ginger
one half teaspoon salt (optional, I don't
use any)
1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated
milk (I use the nonfat version)
Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.
Step 11 - Pour into the pie crust
I like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right
up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.
I like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right
up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.
Don't be surprised if the mixture is very runny! It may start as a liquid,
but it will firm up nicely in the oven!
Step 12 - Bake the pie
Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then
turn the temperature down to 350 F ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to
60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out
clean.
Here is the finished pie, right out of the
oven:
I use a blunt table knife to test
the pie. The one at left has already been stuck in the pie, and you
see it comes out pretty clean, when the pie is done.
Step 12 - Cool the pie
And enjoy!
Warm
or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all - it's great!
Alternative Cooking methods for step 4
If you don’t have a microwave, or prefer another method, try these:
Stovetop steaming – Place your steaming basket
or grid in the bottom of a large pot. Put enough water so it won’t boil dry in
20 minutes, and yet is not so high that the pumpkin is touching the water level.
You may need to add more water during the cooking. Add the pumpkin prepared in
step 3, and get the steamer going. The cooking time is only between 8 and 12
minutes, depending on the range (gas or electric), and the pumpkin literally
falls off the skin.
Pressure cooker – Place your grid in the bottom of the pressure cooker. If your
pressure cooker came with directions, follow those for pumpkin and/or winter
squash, like butternut squash. If, like most people, you’ve long since lost the
directions, try this: Add enough water to just touch the bottom of the grid or
shelf that you will place the pumpkin on. Add the pumpkin prepared in step 3,
put the lid with the gasket, the weight and anything else your cooker requires
in place, and turn the heat on high. Once it starts hissing, turn it to medium
or medium high. The cooking time should only be about 10 minutes, and the
pumpkin should literally fall out of its skin.
Oven – You can also bake the prepared pumpkin in the oven, just like a butternut
squash. This method takes the longest. Just put the prepared pumpkin in an
ovenproof container (with a lid), add about 3 cups of water to help prevent it
from drying out and pop it in an 350 F (200 C) oven. It normally takes about 45
minutes to an hour; just test it periodically by sticking it with a fork to see
if it is soft!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I would like to make your pumpkin pie from scratch for my
family for Thanksgiving. What would be the best way to do this? Can I make a pie
now and freeze it? Can I buy the small pumpkins now and hold on to them until
the week before Thanksgiving and make the pie?
Yes, pumpkin pies freeze pretty well, but of course,
everything's a little better fresh. Pie pumpkins keep very well in a cool
basement or garage (between 40 F and 60F), and they'd certainly keep until
Thanksgiving if they are in good shape now (no bruises or soft spots).
Q. I live in Europe, so I do not have all of the U.S.
ingredients over here. I'm also not that clear on the measurement conversions
for Example: 1 Cup = how many oz or grams (better for me) dry goods-flour and
from oz to grams or liters for wet goods-cream? I was wondering if you would
also possibly know substitutes for the following items: Allspice (cinnamon?),
Evaporated milk (Lowfat Cream? But then not sweetened! Add more sugar?), Crisco
Vegatable Shortening (Help - no idea!)
No problem! I lived and worked in Europe for 7 years,
so I found a lot of good substitutions.
1 cup = 1/4 liter - about 250 ml - But I can't give
you a conversion to grams because volumes don't correlate to weight due to
the variability in density of ingredients. But it is easy enough to measure
flour in milliliters!
Evaporated milk is unsweetened milk that has the
volume reduced by removing some of the water - it is sort of like
concentrated milk - about 50% reduced, still quite watery. You could make
your own by adding 100 ml (by volume) of instant dried milk to each 100 ml
of regular lowfat (or skim or nonfat) milk.
Allspice is it's own spice! It is the dried,
unripened fruit of a small evergreen tree, the Pimenta Dioica (typically
grown in Jamaica). The fruit is a pea-sized berry which is sundried to a
reddish-brown color. Pimento is called Allspice because its flavor suggests
a blend of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. So you could make a blend of equal
parts of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg instead.
Crisco shortening is a vegetable substitute for
lard, and adds no flavor. You could use butter, margarine, or even (ugh!)
lard, in place of it. If you are the UK, there is something called
Trex vegetable fat in the refrigerated section of the supermarket near the
butter. I'm told it a good substitute for Crisco.
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stems. Perfect for purees, creamed soups, baby foods,
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ease and in a fraction of the time. Includes the
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instruction/recipe booklet.
The Deluxe model comes with the standard Tomato/Apple
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Pumpkin Patches and More.org
"Pie pumpkins" are smaller, sweeter, less
grainy textured pumpkins than the usual jack-o-lantern types.
Grocery stores usually carry them in late September through December in
the U.S. Note: the Libby's can of cooked pumpkin is just there
for reference - it is the small can, so that gives you an idea of the size
of a typical pie pumpkin. They're only about 8 inches in diameter.
If you're in a pinch and can't find a pie pumpkin, here's a tip: butternut
squash taste almost the same! Commercial canned pumpkin is from a
variety of butternut, not true pumpkins! If you DO use a regular Jack O'
Lantern type pumpkin, you may need to add about 25% more sugar and run the
cooked pumpkin through a blender or food processor to help smooth it out.
Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or
warm water, no soap.
And scrape the insides. You want to
get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface. I
find a heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
Remove the stem, and put the pumpkin into a
microwaveable. You may need to cut the pumpkin further to make it fit.
The fewer the number of pieces, the easier it will to scoop out the cooked
pumpkin afterwards.
Cook for 15 minutes on high, check to see if
it is soft, then repeat in smaller increments of time until it is soft
enough to scoop the innards out. Normally it takes 20 or 30 minutes
in total.
Using a broad, smooth spoon, (such as a
tablespoon) gently lift and scoop the cooked pumpkin out of the skin.
It should separate easily an in fairly large chucks, if the pumpkin is
cooked enough.
To get a nice, smooth consistency, I use a
Pillsbury hand blender. A regular blender works, too (unless you
made a few frozen daiquiris and drank them first..). Or even just a hand
mixer with time and patience.
Step
8 - Done with the pumpkin!
e right amount of
ingredients for this is as follows: 
I like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right
up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.
Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then
turn the temperature down to 350 F ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to
60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out
clean.
Warm
or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all - it's great!
Retail:
$89.95
