Cooking with Pumpkin
Amanda Wilcox
Posted October 20, 2012
When it comes to picking a pumpkin, it's important to find one of the round,
plump variety to make the best looking Jack-o-lantern. But when it comes to
using pumpkins for baking and cooking purposes, pretty much any pumpkin will
do the job, said Robin Seitz, Onslow County extension agent who handles
nutrition and food programming.
"It doesn't matter what the shape is especially if you're cooking with
it," Steitz said. "But you want to make sure it's heavy for its size, because
that means it has good water content."
Although smaller, sweeter pumpkins are usually used for baking and sold
in grocery stores and farmer markets, larger pumpkins that are typically used
for carving can be cooked with as well.
Most pumpkin dish recipes call for the use of pumpkin puree, which can be
bought in the store or made from scratch using a fresh pumpkin.
To make pumpkin puree, first cut the stem off of the pumpkin then smash
it against a hard surface like a concrete floor or marble table to break the
pumpkin open. If it doesn't open, cut it in half using a sharp knife and
proceed to take out the pumpkin brains -- the stringy, wet flesh clinging to
the meaty part of the pumpkin, Steitz said.
To turn the pumpkin into puree, the meaty part of the pumpkin can either
be cut into chunks and boiled in a pot of water for 20 to 30 minutes or
steamed for 10 to 15 minutes. The pumpkin could also be cut in half and placed
cut-side-down on a cookie sheet, then baked at 350 degrees for an hour or
microwaved on high for 15 minutes.
Once the pumpkin has been cooked and cooled down, peel the pumpkin pieces
and place the meat in a food processor or blender to mash it into a puree.
One pound of pumpkin typically yields about one cup of pumpkin puree,
which can be used for everything from pumpkin pie to pumpkin soup.
"(Pumpkin) is very versatile," Steitz said. "You can use it in savory
dishes, or sweet dishes."
Seitz said although pumpkin is usually the main ingredient in any pumpkin
dish, pumpkin puree can also be used as a filler or substitution for fat
substances like butter or lard when baking.
In addition to its popular taste, pumpkin provides a multitude of
nutritional benefits, including high doses of beta carotene -- which has anti
aging properties -- and potassium, as well as good sources of fiber and
healthy fats.
Pumpkin is also very low in calories; one cup of pumpkin puree has 50
calories, Steitz said.
Pumpkin seeds, which are usually disposed of during the removal of the
pumpkin brains, can be roasted and eaten like sunflower seeds. To roast
pumpkin seeds, simply separate them from the rest of the pumpkin brain, clean
them thoroughly and bake them in the oven.
A quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds has 126 calories and a rather high fat
content, but the fat in the seeds -- like all nuts and seeds -- comes from
heart healthy fats, Steitz said.
"Pumpkin is just really good for you," she said. "Seeds and flesh -- all
of it is."
Steitz said although pumpkins are fun to carve, it's important to
remember that pumpkins are an excellent nutritional source, and the squash
shouldn't be overlooked.
"Most people just think of (pumpkin) as a Jack-o-lantern, but it's very
high in nutritional content," she said.
Contact Daily News Military Reporter Amanda Wilcox at 910-219-8453 or
amanda.wilcox@jdnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AWilcox21.
©2012 The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.)
Visit The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) at www.jdnews.com
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