The Crib: A Blog for New Parents

Tidbits of useless information about pumpkins:

• They're good for you! The kids really don’t care, but pumpkin seeds are packed with fiber and protein; they are also an excellent source of zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, and mono-unsaturated fat. Pumpkin also provides vitamin A, and Beta-carotene.
• In Native American culture, pumpkins were a favorite source of many treats. The pilgrims were a little apprehensive at first, but they obviously grew to enjoy them, because they came up with pumpkin pie.
• Pumpkins are a part of the gourd or Cucurbitaceae family, with the cantaloupe, cucumber, and squash for its closest relatives. Who knew the cucumber was a gourd?

Here are just a couple recipes for things to do with a pumpkin.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

· Separate the seeds from the stringy, gooey insides( I let my kids do this part, they actually enjoy that mess)

· Rinse the seeds in a colander, to remove the last little bits of icky.

· Lay the seeds on a paper towel and let them dry for about an hour.

· Take a ½ cup of melted butter, add just a little salt, and mix with the pumpkin seeds, then bake them on a greased cookie sheet until lightly golden brown.

You can’t do anything with the glop from inside the pumpkin, but you can use the shell. It is a time consuming project, but worth it. These are the three methods that you can use to prepare fresh pumpkin for baking.

Baking Method

· Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast.

· In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face up and cover with foil.

· Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender.

· Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it.

Boiling Method

· Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides.

· Cut it into chunks.

· Place in a kettle and cover with water.

· Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender.

· Let the chunks cool, and then peel the skin off

· Puree the flesh in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher or food mill.

Microwave Method

· Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides.

· Microwave on high power for seven minutes per pound, turning pieces every few minutes to promote even cooking.

· Repeat the rest of the steps from above.

· You can refrigerate your fresh pumpkin puree for up to three days, or store it in the freezer up to six months, enabling you to enjoy fall pumpkins for months to come.

There is always the option of buying canned pumpkin, which is a whole lot easier, and much less of a mess, but nearly as much fun.

Now that you have your pumpkin ready, you can make anything from pies to soups. Enjoy!