What can I do with a pumpkin that wasn't carved?!


Question: I have a nice pumpkin that we didn't carve for Halloween. I want to cook or bake it, or do something with it. I don't want to throw it away. I need to do something with it before it goes bad. Any suggestions for what I can cook or bake with it? I don't want to make... anything but pie!


Answers: I have a nice pumpkin that we didn't carve for Halloween. I want to cook or bake it, or do something with it. I don't want to throw it away. I need to do something with it before it goes bad. Any suggestions for what I can cook or bake with it? I don't want to make... anything but pie!

You can substitute canned pumpkin in any recipe using pumpkin puree, but you’ll get a better flavour if you cook fresh pumpkin yourself. For the best flavour, slice and seed fresh pumpkin and roast in a medium oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and mash or blend the flesh. Alternatively, peel and seed raw pumpkin, cut into chunks, place in a large pan with the minimum of water and simmer until tender. Drain thoroughly and mash, blend or process to a puree.

Here are 5 ideas for using fresh pumpkin.


Pumpkin soup Pumpkin makes wonderful soup. Cook cubes of fresh pumpkin in vegetable stock, adding other vegetables such as onion, leek, potato, carrot or turnip if you wish. When the vegetables are tender, puree in a blender or food processor. For extra savour, add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. Ground or grated fresh ginger also work well.


Pumpkin cakes Add up to 175ml (1 cup) pureed pumpkin to teabread recipes, for moistness. Always use spice with pumpkin, because its natural flavour is very mild. Traditional choice is a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.


Pumpkin pies Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a pumpkin pie. The simplest way to make one is to use bake a pastry case or pie crust (or buy a good quality ready-made one). For enough filling for two 9-inch (20cm) pie crusts, mix 450 ml (2 ? cups) pumpkin puree, fresh or canned, with 5 fl oz low-fat evaporated milk, three beaten eggs and 1 ? tsp cinnamon, ? tsp ginger, ? tsp each nutmeg and allspice (but check before adding spices, as some canned pumpkin comes ready-spiced). Bake for 15 mins at 425F/220C/gas 7, lower the temperature to 350F/180C/gas 4 for another 40 minutes.


Pumpkin pancakes Great for breakfast, these are whizzed up in minutes. Substitute 90ml (1/2 cup) pumpkin puree for the same quantity of milk in your favourite pancake recipe and cook in a hot pan, pouring just enough batter to make small pancakes.


Pumpkin in savoury dishes Try cubed pumpkin, browned with onion and garlic, then simmered in a tomato sauce with a dash of chilli. Great with pasta or rice. Or use pumpkin in risotto. Finely chop and soften 4 shallots or one onion in a little olive oil. Stir in 250g ( 1 ? cups) risotto rice, 500g (3 cups) grated fresh pumpkin (use a food processor to do the grating), then gradually add 850ml (5 cups) hot vegetable stock, making sure each addition has been absorbed into the rice before you add the next. When rice and pumpkin are tender, stir through a generous grating of Parmesan cheese, and leave to stand, covered for 10 minutes to allow the rice to swell.

Pumpkin Bread
Makes 2 loaves (32 servings)
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 55 minutes
Ingredients
* 3 cups sugar
* 1 cup cooking oil
* 4 eggs
* 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2/3 cup water
* 1 15-ounce can pumpkin

Directions
1. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two 9x5x3-inch, three 8x4x2-inch, or four 7-1/2x3 1/2-x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a very large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture and water alternately to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 2 loaves (32 servings).

Raisin-Nut Pumpkin Bread: Prepare bread as above, except fold 3/4 cup raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts into batter after pumpkin has been added.

Core the pumpkin and slice into super large hunks. Roast with cumin and butter flesh side up, until dark brown charred and delicious. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toast for another 5 min in the oven- serve as a side!

mmm i love pumpkin...when you make something can i come over?
you could make pumpkin roll
or muffins
or cookies
or fudge

There are some really good pumpkin bread or cake roll recipes on Food Network. You cut open the pumpkin you have, scratch out the seeds and goopy stuff. Slice into the flesh about two inches deep, if there is that much flesh, and cut out square sections, makes it easier to use. Put them into a sauce pan, with water and boil them like you would potatoes. Drain off the excess water after they are real tender. Add a little butter, some cinnamon if your cake or bread calls for it as you boil down the pumpkin, then use the mush you create just like you would canned pumpkin, but it tastes a lot better!

carve it

I dont know if you meant to say you didnt want to make anything but pie or if you meant you would make anything but pie.
If you did mean the 1st 1 then i'd say pie lol. But if you meant the 2nd 1 then how about pumpkin muffins or just carve a thanksgiving pattern into it, thats what i'm doing with mine.

pumpkin soup is good

if all else fails,

feed it seeds & all to wild birds

Ammo for PUNKIN CHUNKIN





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