Pumpkins

I Love Pumpkins, Not Just Pumpkin Spice.
Every year I wait and wait for pumpkin season. I just love pie pumpkins. Their flesh is a beautiful light orange, and the peel is thin. I love pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin in tea and coffee, and pumpkin muffins. You name it and I love pumpkins. I find it beautiful that you can use it for both savory and sweet dishes. On top of that, it’s also good for you.
Pumpkins are very nutritious and their content of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals makes them important in fighting off fall and winter viruses by supporting our immune system.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
A one-cup serving of cooked pumpkin (245g) that is boiled and drained with no added salt provides 49 calories, 1.8g of protein, 12g of carbohydrates, and 0.2g of fat. Pumpkin is a great source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and phosphorus. The following nutrition information is provided by the USDA.1

Calories: 49
Fat: 0.2g
Sodium: 2.5mg
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 2.7g
Sugars: 5.1g
Protein: 1.8g
Vitamin A: 706mcg
Vitamin C: 11.5mg
Potassium: 564mg
Phosphorus: 73.5mg

This year we only got 2 pumpkins from our patch, so I bought 30 pounds from a local farmer.

Outside of a cold cellar, fresh pumpkins need to be processed within the first 60 days of picking. This means that you have to look into ways of preserving it.

Pumpkins are a low acid food item. What this means is that to make it safe for eating it has to be either pressure canned, stored cold, or frozen. In my opinion, pressure canning pumpkins takes too much time and the quality of the end product just isn’t there. Compared to freezing pumpkins, it’s a lot more work to can them. The reason for this is that to can them you first have to peel them, then you have to cut them into chunks, and then they need to be processed for 90 minutes. Start and waiting time for cooling off adds another hour to it. This way not only takes more time, but you get a lot of extra water in it. That is okay if you are making soup, but not so much when it’s for pies, lattes or muffins--unless you try draining and straining first. Because of this, I prefer to bake and freeze. This way I can let excess water drip off before I freeze them, and I can portion it out in the right amount for whatever I need. Just cut the pumpkins in half and bake them for 30 to 60 minutes at 375. Touch it frequently to see if it has softened enough.

To drain excess water from the pumpkins, add the mash to a cheese cloth over a strainer, and let the water drain off for a few hours or overnight. Next pack it into freezer safe bags. I usually put in the right amount needed for either a pie, a bunch of muffins, or soup. Then I label it with amount, date and purpose.

I also pickle some, but those pickles are stored in my second fridge, which I have for things that need cold storage. They are very delicious, but it’s not very practical making a lot since we have to store them in a fridge, and because they have a limited time they stay good in storage. They will last for 9 months in the fridge though, and they taste amazing.
The seeds are brining in the fridge (to get the slime off), and will be roasted tomorrow. They will serve as a yummy snack during winter.

Today was just day one of preservation. I think it will take me two days this year, but I am in no hurry to finish. I made curried pumpkin soup for dinner, topped with chopped parsley and served with a slice of sourdough bread. Then we prepped some to be pickled tomorrow and baked 3 so we could have some pie and some mash for the freezer. Tomorrow I will bake the last 5 pumpkins, vacuum pack and freeze them.

This is the kind of soup that I love having simmering all day on the fire. The fragrances spread all over the house, bringing in a feeling of comfort.

For curried pumpkin soup you will need:
2 pie pumpkins (about 2 pounds) peeled, core removed and cut into chunks.
1 stalk of celery (cleaned and sliced)
1 large carrot (cleaned and sliced thin)
1 large leek (cleaned and sliced thin)
1 quart of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of curry powder
6 oz of cream or whole milk (Feel free to use dairy free! It’s what we use)
2 tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste.

Directions:
In a dutch oven or similar thick bottomed pot, add the oil and fry the curry powder and the leeks. Next add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until soft, then blend it with an immersion blender. Season with salt to taste and serve with a slice of sourdough bread. I often have this soup simmering for hours, but it’s not needed. I just love the smell.

My go-to hot latte during October and November are made with pumpkin purée and spices. I add pumpkin on top of the spices simply because it gives the body more nourishment, which we can all use from time to time. It’s a delightful hot nourishing drink on a cold day, and it brings to mind Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To make my pumpkin latte you will need:
8 oz of coffee or black tea
1 tablespoon of pumpkin purée
1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon of sweetener of your choice
1/2 cup half and half, or similar dairy free version (we like nut pods)
1 scoop of collagen powder (optional, but will make it more creamy)
Instructions:
Just add everything to a blender, and blend it for 60 seconds on high.

For bulk pumpkin spice you will need:
1 cup of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of ground ginger
1/8 cup ground cloves
1/4 cup of allspice or nutmeg (both optional)

I am done cooking and preserving for today. I only have 5 pumpkins left to process tomorrow. I wonder if I got enough this year? 🤔 Maybe I should order more.

I forgot to add my recipe for pickled pumpkins, so here it is.

Asier *Danish pickled pumpkin recipe*
1 1/2 kg of pumpkin or approximately 1 kg of peeled, core-free pumpkin.
Pre canning Brine: 1 liter of water, 100 g of salt, 200 ml vinegar.
Second pour over brine: 400ml vinegar, 100ml water, 350 g sugar or light brown sugar, 10 whole cloves

Method:
1. Clean, peel and core the pumpkin, then slice into finger length pieces. Add to the brine and leave it for 24 hours.
2. Next day drain off and discharge the brine.
3. Add the ingredients for the second brine to a pot. Add the pumpkin slices to the pot and bring it to a boil. Remove the pumpkin slices from the pot when it starts to boil. Then cook the brine for another 5 minutes.
4. Fill the pumpkin slices into sterile pint canning jars and pour over the hot brine leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
5. Process in a water canner for 10 minutes. Remember to wipe the edge with vinegar before putting the lids on. After that the jars has to be refrigerated to be safe, since no research has gone into pickling pumpkins. In Denmark where this recipe is from, they add a preservative before canning. They will last about 6 month in cold storage.

Notes:
I ended up making a second batch of the pour over brine, as I ran out after 2 jars. I don’t think I pack my jars as tight as my mother used to.

I got 4 pints out of this recipe.

Also, why still can the jars? Because otherwise they won’t taste right and won’t be cooked through.

Seriously these are so good, I could eat them right out of the jar.

East Frisia to Denmark is, if you crossing the North Sea only 100 kilometers...

Per car it's 250 Kilometers (and probably a few speeding tickets) away.

BUT our pumpkin recipes are literally out of the same kitchen which proves, it must be very good...
(I posted this one on another tread)

East Frisian Pumpkin sweet and sour pickled

If you have a 10-12 lbs pumpkin you need:

2 liter Water
2lb Sugar
0.1 liter Vinegar Essence
10 Cloves
1-2 Cinnamon sticks
1 Teaspoon Salt
30 Grams Ginger

You peel the pumpkin and make sure the hard rind is complete peeled and also take the spongy seed chamber completely out.
You want to end up with the dense flesh in blocks of 3/4".

Bring all ingredients to boil until the sugar is dissolved

Give the pumpkin pieces into the cooking mix and just make it boil again.
As soon its boiling remove it from the heat, switch the oven off and then put the pot back on the heat plate and let it rest as hot as it is for about 20 minutes.
Steer it carefully from time to time.

The pumpkin pieces should look slightly glassy and not so soft that they falling apart.

put them hot as they are into jars, close the lid and turn the glass over on a towel where it cools down.

The pumpkins will go well along with roasts and stewed meats/gravy...

See Hes wrote:East Frisia is if you crossing the North Sea only 100 kilometers...

Per car it's 250 Kilometers (and probably a few speeding tickets) away.

BUT our pumpkin recipes are literally out of the same kitchen which proves, it must be very good.....

That is funny and interesting. While the recipe is danish, I don’t live there anymore. We immigrated to America in 2002 and have lived i the San Diego area since. I still make the old recipes though. Unfortunately in Denmark they add preservatives to their canning, which we don’t do here. Because of that mine stays in the fridge until eaten.

Anyway, it’s interesting how yours only differs in what spices to add. I will have to try and add cinnamon and ginger next time. It’s interesting how many recipes intermingles between the European Countries. I make schnitzel all the time with lots of creamed and fried mushrooms. Another canning recipe that’s pretty much the same here in the US, in Germany and in Denmark is pickled red cabbage. In Denmark we call it “rødkål”, I believe in Germany you call it Rothcohl. Forgive my bad German spelling.  
My kids love the pickled pumpkins,  so much, that they don’t mind peeling pumpkins. I just finished them today, so they are still cooling in the kitchen. I did 4 pints the last time, and tripled it this time, since they went so fast LOL.

Pumpkins are amazing, indeed! Those are some great sounding recipes, thanks for sharing! I'm too lazy to preserve right now and don't have tons of freezer or fridge space, so I tend to grow long storing moschata squashes rather than the pie pumpkins (C. pepo). I like Musquee de Provence as I've had them store in the house for over a year just hanging out on the floor or on a shelf. That way I can just cook them as needed. Bonus is they are great decorations in the meantime, creating a sense of abundance until I eat them. I think Butternuts and some of the maxima squashes will store similarly long times.

Heather Sharpe wrote:Pumpkins are amazing, indeed! Those are some great sounding recipes, thanks for sharing! I'm too lazy to preserve right now and don't have tons of freezer or fridge space, so I tend to grow long storing moschata squashes rather than the pie pumpkins (C. pepo). I like Musquee de Provence as I've had them store in the house for over a year just hanging out on the floor or on a shelf. That way I can just cook them as needed. Bonus is they are great decorations in the meantime, creating a sense of abundance until I eat them. I think Butternuts and some of the maxima squashes will store similarly long times.

That’s really great. We store fresh ones too. Delicata, acorn and butternut squash keeps very well, when seasoned, so we usually get a lot of those. We get a few spaghetti squash too, but it’s not my favorite. Nothing better than a baked acorn squash topped with wishdom kraut made from butternut squash.

I see so many recipes with pumpkins and all I tried were never catching my taste buds.

Also here I Thailand (where I moved from Germany in the same year than Ulla Bisgaard to the United States), pumpkins are a staple but I can't stand them.

BUT, as soon they are pickled I change completely, especially when it comes to Sunday Roast (Potatoes, Rotkohl and stewed meats)
Since my childhood I mashed the Potatoes in the gravy, mixed the red cabbage under and topped the hot food with the cold pumpkins.
I find this is releasing a complete culinary firework all over your taste buds.

My grandfather and father did the same while my mother moaned that she will in future just chuck anything in one saucepan and serve it in a pig trough...  
She always served the pumpkins in a small separate bowl and we just poured entire bowl on top of the mashed up roast...

Sounds Barbaric? Well, we Friesians went well along with the Vikings ;-))

Ulla Bisgaard wrote:Unfortunately in Denmark they add preservatives to their canning, which we don’t do here. Because of that mine stays in the fridge until eaten.

Ulla, what are the preservatives used there?  I'm so curious.

I too love pumpkin. I grow butternut instead, though, and use it for all my pumpkin recipes on account of it being smaller and storing really well. They are very dense and space saving both in flesh and in fruit/vine.  But pumpkin does have a unique flavor.  In "pumpkin" butternut pies, no one seems to tell the difference, but I know the difference in taste raw and I imagine the pickles would be different.

Thanks for sharing these great recipes!

See Hes wrote:I see so many recipes with pumpkins and all I tried were never catching my taste buds.

Also here I Thailand (where I moved from Germany in the same year than Ulla Bisgaard to the United States), pumpkins are a staple but I can't stand them.

BUT, as soon they are pickled I change completely, especially when it comes to Sunday Roast (Potatoes, Rotkohl and stewed meats)
Since my childhood I mashed the Potatoes in the gravy, mixed the red cabbage under and topped the hot food with the cold pumpkins.
I find this is releasing a complete culinary firework all over your taste buds.

My grandfather and father did the same while my mother moaned that she will in future just chuck anything in one saucepan and serve it in a pig trough...  
She always served the pumpkins in a small separate bowl and we just poured entire bowl on top of the mashed up roast...

Sounds Barbaric? Well, we Friesians went well along with the Vikings ;-))

So funny with all of the coincidences. In my family we did the same thing with the gravy and the pickled pumpkin. In recipes Asier are usually a type of cucumbers, only in this recipe they used pumpkin. It was the one my mother made every year, and we ate it on top of everything just like you did.

Kim Goodwin wrote:

Ulla Bisgaard wrote:Unfortunately in Denmark they add preservatives to their canning, which we don’t do here. Because of that mine stays in the fridge until eaten.

Ulla, what are the preservatives used there?  I'm so curious.

I too love pumpkin. I grow butternut instead, though, and use it for all my pumpkin recipes on account of it being smaller and storing really well. They are very dense and space saving both in flesh and in fruit/vine.  But pumpkin does have a unique flavor.  In "pumpkin" butternut pies, no one seems to tell the difference, but I know the difference in taste raw and I imagine the pickles would be different.

Thanks for sharing these great recipes!

It’s called Atemon. I asked my mother once, and she said it was an anti fungal, but I don’t think that’s true. Once, 6 years after my mother died, my father opened a bottle of elderberry syrup she has made using this preservative. The syrup was still just as good tasting as when she made it. That makes me draw the conclusion that it has to have been a strong one. The syrup wasn’t even canned. She would rinse the bottles with the preservative and water. Then before filling, she would add a dose that was the lid half full. Then the bottles flip top was closed.

As for butternut squash, we grow those too, and are usually more lucky with those than the pumpkins. While you might not be able to tell the difference in taste, I can. At least with the recipes I use. I have tried substituting for sweet potatoes too, and I love that version,but it’s still not the same. Another thing is, that if it was only for pies, then I might stick to butternut squash too, but we love pumpkin soup and muffins. I also really like pumpkin in my coffee.

I'm in southern Spain and we don't see many US-style pumpkins here, but several varieties of squash are grown, including butternut.

I made these lovely cookies with butternut squash yesterday.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/255563/butternut-squash-cookies/

Couple of tips:

If you immersion blend the cooked and peeled squash before it goes into the dough, it will be the perfect consistency.

You can decrease the sugar by about a third - in fact I'd recommend it.

Also: add at least a teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients . (Why are baking recipes today so afraid of salt???) That way the other flavors come through more.

The finished product! I wouldn't top the unbaked cookies with almonds again, since they got a little bitter. But they did pass a stringent taste test:  I visited a family with a 2-year-old last night and I brought a few cookies over ... and the 2-year-old ate nearly all of them!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NhxS5cv7by7dzMC48

I love pie pumpkins for soup or stews! I saved some seeds from my last one for next year.

I prefer to scoop them out and bake them part way, then put the soup stuff inside!