Pumpkins: Pie, Soup or Jack-O-Lantern...We Love this Fall Vegetable!
Posted: October 2, 2012
These painted fellows are fall favorites with many little ones!
If you have grown your own crop of pumpkins, you should harvest when they are ripe and store them in a cool (45-50°F), dry location for up to six months. Once you have cut open and removed the seeds inside of your pumpkin, it is time to decide how you are going to use it.
Pumpkins come in many varieties and are cultivated and used for a multitude of reasons. One example is the “pie” pumpkin, specifically developed for baking and/or cooking purposes. Ideally, pie pumpkins should exhibit a deep orange color. After halving and seed removal, you must cook this pumpkin, either in the oven for 30 -60 minutes at 350°, or microwave on high for 15 minutes. Now you can cut or puree the inside for use in soup, muffins, pudding or pies.
If your pumpkin crop is better suited for carving or decorative displays, then canned pumpkin can be purchased for your baking needs. Canned pumpkin is abundant in the local grocery stores and it is wise to stock up this time of year.
Whichever way you plan to use pumpkins, enjoy them while the harvest is plentiful!
For additional facts and recipes follow this link to a free Penn State publication entitled Vegetable Variety-Squash /Pumpkin http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uk176.pdf
Want to visit some of Pittsburgh's favorite pumpkin patches... http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/events/a/fall_festivals.htm
Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
