Roasting Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Recipes
Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin — Now What does he do with it?
Every fall I get many questions about what to do with pumpkins. Many people find curious fascination in imagining what it would be like to grow these versatile little gems, as if growing something that produces a large fruit is somehow more respectable than growing, say, a Serrano pepper. Many people eventually venture into pumpkin experimentation. Some succeed and many fail. Much like a dog that chases a car, many people never give thought to what they would do if they actually succeeded in successfully raising a patch of these fall favorites.
Whether you have found yourself with more pumpkins than you know what to do with or you are one of the people who had to buy pumpkins and duct tape them to the vine, these tips for roasting and using pumpkins are sure to help you make the most out of them (no matter how you acquired them)!
How To Roast A Pumpkin
You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for several days.
To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender. Mix with a little salt.
To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1-2 cups in freezer bags along with spices and use in pies.
To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.
A 5 lb pumpkin makes about 4 1/2 cups of mashed (pureed) pumpkin.
a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin equals about 2 cups of mashed pumpkin.
So if the recipe calls for a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin use 2 cups.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees. Stir after 30 minutes. Bake 1/2-1 hour more or until crunchy.
*Squash seeds may also be used.
Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Combine ingredients. Stir just until moistened; batter may be lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and nuts.
Pumpkin Maple Sauce
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cups pumpkin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Mix everything together until well blended.
For even more great pumpkin recipes including an easy homemade pumpkin muffin recipe, check out part 2, Easy Pumpkin Recipes – Muffins and More!
Photo By: John Leach
My favourite pumpkin recipe is this. Cut off a section at the top if the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds. Fill the cavity with cubes of pork that have already been browned and small cubes of potatoes, onions and carrots in a thick gravy. Put the lid back on the pumpkin and tie down or wrap tightly with foil and bake in oven until done. You can take the lid off and test to see if the meat is cooked. Serve with rice, or mashed potatoes. You nay need some extra gravy on the side. It is scrumptious!
We always bake squash and pumpkin cut side down. Instead of water in the cavity though I put in an icecube, it is easier to handle. I like Cynthia’s recipe above. My mom used to stuff acorn squash with browned savory sausage, stove top stuffing and cheddar cheese! Yum-o.
Love anything made with pumpkin. Really enjoy reading your newsletter. Have a great day!! L
I love your newsletter. Just thought I would let you know, the new PointsPlus points on the cake mix with pumpkin is 5 pts (if you do 12 muffins, w/o the chips)
Thanks for all your ideas,
jo
If you make puree with your own pumpkin, approximately how much puree do you need to equal one can of pumpkin?
A 5 lb pumpkin makes about 4 1/2 cups of mashed (pureed) pumpkin.
a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin equals about 2 cups of mashed pumpkin.
So if the recipe calls for a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin use 2 cups.
If I’m going to just eat a cooked pumpkin or squash, I leave the seeds and strings in for more nutrition. I scoop out the seeds if using for baked goods.
Thanks for reminding us to strain out the pumpkin juice for baking. I always justed cooked it to dryness!
That pumpkin maple syrup sounds so good and different.
RE: Pumpkin Muffins
What size cake mix? With or without pudding in the mix?
What size can of pumpkin? Thanks
Just a regular size box of cake mix (16 oz) and it doesn’t matter on the pudding, a 15-16 oz can of pumpkin.
I made the pumpkin muffins with yellow cake mix (with pudding) and some chocolate chips and they are great.
I dearly love the Delicata squash. It has a sweet and rich flavor, almost like a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato. It’s very hard to find here in Southern California, but I just moved to a place with room to grow plants, so that and tomatoes are at the top of my list for spring. I’m sure it will work well in these recipes, although my favorite way to cook it is just cut it up and scoop out the seeds and put it in the steamer of my rice cooker. The seeds taste just like pumpkin seeds when I used your recipe above.
I made my first pumpkin pie using fresh pumpkin last night. I bought the pumpkin at the Farmers Market. It is really easy to use fresh pumpkin. A lot easier than I thought it would be, and the pie came out great. I also roasted the seeds using the instructions from your cookbook and they came out great too. I’m so happy that I got enough pumpkin to make 3 pies from one $1.50 pumpkin, which is cheaper than canned and fresh. I may even make the muffins or cookies.
The pumpkin pancake and pumpkin maple syrup sounds yummy:) I will have to try this
My husband wanted me to make pumpkin pickles. I had never heard of them until I met him so after 36 years we are going to try them today.
He is going to cut them up since he bought a couple fairly large ones. Heck I don’t like pumpkin so if he wants to eat them he is going to help with the making of them.
Wish me luck.
Still have apples to dehydrate both dehydrators are full. This will take a number of days so no great hurry.
About 40 lbs of different types of meat to can and freeze after cutting it up.
Would like to get it done by Wed. as we have to go out of town on Thursday and won’t be back until late Friday night.
One nice thing I learned this morning was that I can freeze the meat and can it later. Will have to keep that in mind.
Off to the salt mines for a bit. need lots of breaks as my feet are swollen with RA so not easy to stand for long.
jill .. never heard of using the pudding mix for the muffin recipe .. is that instant pudding mix (dry) or cooked mix (its just the mix, not cooked or added milk) .. just curious ..
and yes, i just use one can of the pumpkin puree to the boxed cake mix ..
just curious
Yes Rose it is instant pudding – dry. Sorry I try to usually say that but sometimes I forget to correct it in older recipes. One rule of thumb is usually in baking recipes like this you always use instant and add it dry unless they say other wise. One thing that helps to is if the pudding is suppose to be cooked they normally have extra milk written in the recipe and say some where in the instructions to mix milk and pudding. Hope this helps a little. I will try to catch those recipes better.
thanks for responding jill .. i appreciate it .. i was just curious .. i normally do not add the pudding in the recipe i use .. neither does my daughter .. she just adds the can of puree pumpkin and then folds in the chips .. i dont even do that .. i just use the can of puree pumpkin and then frost with cream cheese frosting ..
she told me she usually uses the reg chocolate chips (or semi sweet, i cant remember which one) but next time she is going to use the white chocolate chips ..
so many different versions for this one basic recipe .. adn all are sooooo good ..
hope all is well with u these days .. i am sure ur getting ready for your busy gingerbread men baking season .. walmart is having their usual holiday baking items display up now .. there are alot of pumpkin baking items out there this year . pumpkin bars, cookies, pudding, no bake cake… its nice to see this and gives alot of variety to choose from ..
stay warm and safe jill ..
what is best way to separate the pumpkin seed and the stingy pumpkin so i can roast the seed
One seed at a time.
I know that is not what you wanted to hear. I have yet to find a really quick and easy way to do it other then just separate them with my fingers and most of the research I have done comes up with no other really easy way either but maybe one of your readers can give us a tim.
A quick and easy pumpkin treat from your frozen pumpkin pulp:
1 cup vanilla soy milk (I use light)
1 cup frozen pumpkin (I chip it off with a heavy knife.)
1 TBS. brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
a nice sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and cloves.
Blend all in a blender until shake like. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar cookie crumbs or nilla wafer crumbs (optional).
Makes a full pint of shake. MY husband likes all the optional stuff but I like it just plain for a quick breakfast.
Yes, One seed at a time works. I was wondering too if there was an easier way, but I usually turn the radio on or music, and listen to it while I painstakingly pick each seed off those stings. It is worth it when done, and then are roasted. Yummy.