Pumpkin by the pound is expensive for a Hallowe’en decoration, but it’s a bargain for food. Can pumpkin be cooked and eaten as a vegetable?
How to cook fresh pumpkin: wash it, and cut off the top. Scoop out the pulp. Cut into chunks. Place in baking pan and roast at 350° for 1-2 hours.
Well, that’s the quick answer. Here are some details to help your pumpkin project be deliciously successful.
Table of Contents
- How to Cook Pumpkin on the Stove
- How to Cook Pumpkin Cubes
- How to Cook Pumpkin in the Microwave
- How to Cook Pumpkin with Sugar
- How to Cook Pumpkin for Pie
How to Cook Pumpkin on the Stove
The best way to cook pumpkin on the stovetop is to steam it in a big soup pot. I use a steaming rack (view here). Prepare as directed above; but instead of putting it in the oven, it steams, covered, over the burner.
Steaming will produce pumpkin that is moister, with a milder flavor.
An alternative to steaming would be to place the cut-up pieces right in the pot, and add one or two pints of salted water. Chicken bouillon powder may substitute for the salt, for even more flavor (only if you’re using your pumpkin as a vegetable). Bring it to a boil, turn to low heat, cover, and check it in about an hour
Both of these methods are faster than baking. If you want it really quick, cut it into cubes, as described in the next section.
How to Cook Pumpkin Cubes
A very fast way to cook up fresh pumpkin is to cut it into 1” cubes, before using one of the above-described stovetop methods. It will take less than half an hour to cook. You can cut that down even more, if you remove the skin.
Keep in mind, though, that there is a reason you rarely hear of people cooking pumpkin this way – Cubing a vegetable as big and tough as a pumpkin is pretty labor-intensive! If you started a clock from the moment you start cutting the pumpkin, the guy who cut it into a few pieces and threw it in the oven is probably going to have his pumpkin done before the one with the aching arm, who spent the better part of an hour cutting all those little pieces.
How to Cook Pumpkin in the Microwave
If you select a rather small sugar pumpkin, you have the option of cooking it in the microwave.
This is very easy. Simply cut the pumpkin in half, starting at the stem and cutting straight down. Remove the knife, turn the pumpkin, and repeat on the other side, so that the pumpkin is cut into symmetrical halves.
Remove the pulp. Lay the halves open-side-down in a baking dish. The skin will act as a cover! Pierce it a few times, though, so some steam can get out.
Microwave it on high for 8 minutes. Check it with a knife for doneness, and cook more, as needed, checking every minute or so.
How to Cook Pumpkin with Sugar
If you are cooking up fresh pumpkin to store away for making pie or other baked goods, do not add any salt or sugar. After all, canned pumpkin does not contain either, and that is the basis for the recipes.
Otherwise, the way to cook pumpkin with sugar depends on whether you are trying to make a side dish or a dessert. To sweeten pumpkin as a side dish, simply add a spoonful of brown sugar, a pat of butter, and a pinch of cinnamon. Ginger is good, too.
To make a healthy pumpkin dessert, stir up the following in a greased casserole dish, and bake at 350° for about an hour:
2c. canned or fresh pumpkin
1/3c. sugar
3 eggs
2c. milk
1t. vanilla
For more flavor, sprinkle it with nutmeg halfway through the baking time.
How to Cook Pumpkin for Pie
Once you have your pumpkin baked, a couple more steps will make it better for using in pies.
I like to let it cool, and refrigerate or freeze it, until I’m ready to bake.
The day I’m going to bake, I purée my pumpkin. Then, it goes into a sieve, placed over a bowl to catch the extra moisture. You don’t really need to do this, but it may help your pie not to end up soggy. Some pumpkins can be very watery, and some draining time can counteract this.
Once you’ve done these things, your pumpkin is at the same stage as it would be, had you just opened a can of pumpkin; so now, it’s just a matter of following your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
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