Okay, so a couple of you are curious about my intentions with my pumpkin haul from last week (14 pumpkins for free!)
SandyAZ wants to know, "how much canned pumpkin will you get from all those free pumpkins?"
And Delores, gifted with 4 pumpkins over the Thanksgiving holiday, "it's just my husband and I. I don't know what to do with these pumpkins. Besides pie and muffins, do you have any recipes?"
So, for Sandy, this is 5 of the pumpkins cooking down in my largest stock pot. I've been reducing the pumpkins down to about 2 1/2 cups of puree per pumpkin, on average. So, with my 14 recently acquired pumpkins, I should have about 16 pints of pumpkin puree. Of course, I'm using much of it in cooking this week.
The pumpkins looked to be going soft, so last weekend, I cooked 7 of them, and this weekend, 5. I have 2 of the free pumpkins left, and 3 other pumpkins that I grew in my garden. I am hoping to get them all cooked by the end of next weekend.
Sandy also asked if I can or freeze my pumpkin. I freeze it. But I'd be interested in knowing of other's experience pressure canning pumpkin. Canning would save freezer space. I've just never canned anything that wasn't either high in sugar or vinegar, and am a bit nervous about canning.
For Delores, depending on the size of the pumpkins, you may go through the 4 quickly enough. Cook and can or freeze the puree. Then use the pumpkin over the month's of winter. I find pumpkin to be fairly versatile. It's flavor is mild enough that it can be added to many of my regular dishes.
This weekend, I made a batch of pumpkin soup, some pumpkin muffins (my favorite recipe is from the inside of a Libby's label on canned pumpkin) and added some pumpkin to a chili-mac casserole on Friday, and some to refried beans for Saturday night's burritos.
I frequently add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree to casseroles and other dishes. The flavor, in small quantities, doesn't seem to compete with other recipe ingredients.
I made a successful pumpkin soup last winter, from Live and Learn's blog. It had peanut butter and curry in it. Live and Learn, if you're reading today, could you give us a link to that recipe?
I make a delicious pumpkin, sage, Italian sausage and cream pasta sauce. I'll be making this later this week, when I have time to make some homemade fettuccine.
Pumpkin oatmeal is a nice change from other oatmeal flavors. Just add some pumpkin (about 1 to 2 tablespoons per serving), cinnamon, nutmeg and sweeten with maple syrup, or add maple extract.
I've been wanting to make pumpkin butter. Does anyone have experience with making pumpkin butter?
I've also thought that I could blend some of this pumpkin with homemade applesauce, for a pumpkin-spice applesauce. I'll try it and let you know if we like it.
What else? Do you have any favorite pumpkin recipes that you could add to this list?
