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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!
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"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.
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.
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)
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.
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)
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.
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.)
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)
Click here for illustrated pie crust
instructions!
(it will open in a new window)
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. Th
e right amount of
ingredients for this is as follows:
Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.
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!
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.
And enjoy!
Warm
or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all - it's great!
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!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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This page was updated on 13-Dec-2007
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