Selecting and Cooking Pumpkin

Selecting a Pumpkin

• Pick a pumpkin that is heavy for its size.
• The pumpkin should be blemish-free and bright in color.
• The smaller the pumpkin, the more sweet and tender it will be.
• If you are going to cook the pumpkin, pick one that is grown specifically for eating, such as a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin.
• Pumpkin can be prepared like most winter squash.
• A pumpkin can be stored at room temperature for 1 month. After it has been cooked and mashed, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Prepping the Pumpkin

• Prep Properly: Wash the pumpkin thoroughly. Cut it in half or into smaller pieces to make handling easier.
• Remove Seeds and Strings: Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. You can roast the seeds separately for a snack.

How to Cook Pumpkin

Baked Pumpkin: Cut pumpkin into chunks, or if small, cut in half. Clean out seeds and pulp. Place in a baking dish, flesh side down, with 1 inch water. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size of chunks, until tender when pierced with a knife.

Steamed Pumpkin: Cut seeded pumpkin into large chunks. Place in a steamer basket. Place over boiling water and cover. Steam about 20 to 25 minutes, until soft but not mushy when tested with a knife.

Microwaved Pumpkin: Cut seeded pumpkin into pieces that will fit in microwave. Cover each piece tightly with microwave safe plastic wrap. Place in microwave, skin side down, and cook on HIGH until tender when tested with a knife, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on amount of pumpkin and size of microwave.

Pressure-cooked Pumpkin: Place a trivet or steamer basket in bottom of pressure cooker. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water and seeded pumpkin chunks. Close and lock the cooker. Bring it up to full pressure and cook about 4 minutes. Release pressure before opening cooker. If pumpkin is not tender, re-cover cooker and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

 

Photo credit: Matthias Böckel from Pixabay