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Here's how to clean and cook pumpkin, store pumpkins, and more seasonal advice.
To Clean a Pumpkin for Cooking
First, scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scrape out the fibers and the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.
- Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces, then place them skin side up in a shallow baking dish.
- Add water to just cover the bottom of the dish, and cover tightly.
- Bake in a 325ºF oven until the pumpkin is fork tender. The time will vary depending on the size of your pieces.
- Let it cool, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.
Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe
Mix the following in a jar:
- 1/3 cup ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg or mace
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice.
For pumpkin pie, add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of spice mix to your other ingredients.
Scent Your Jack-o'-Lantern
Sprinkle a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix into your carved pumpkin before lighting the candle.
Storing Pumpkins and Winter Squash
Winter squashes don't like to be quite as cool as root crops do. If you have a coolish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65ºF.
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