[Sca-cooks] Preserving pumpkin

[Jennifer Carlson]

Stefan asked how to preserve pumpkin.
 
A traditional method is to cut the thing up, thread the pieces on string, and hang to dry.
 
When Diarmaid and I announced our engagement, my great Aunt Cammie sat us down so she could pass on "the old family pumpkin pie" secret:
 
Select a good, ripe pumpkin
The night before making your pie, wash the pumpkin and cut it into chunks, and put the pieces in a bowl and set it in the refrigerator.
The next morning, after your husband goes to work, throw the pieces out and use canned pumpkin.
 
 
My mother once - ONCE - stewed down a fresh pumpkin to make pie.  It took a lot of time, and I don't recall that had much of a different taste from one made with canned pumpkin.  I'm quite content to let the nice people at Libby prep my pumpkin for me.
 
We don't eat it just for dessert.  I put very little sugar in it, and so the tongue registers it as a little more on the "vegetable dish" than "dessert" range of the taste scale.  We'll eat it for breakfast, if we have it on hand.
 
 
Talana
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