PUMPKINS,anyone know much about them?

Question

does anyone out there know anything about keeping / storing /freezing fresh pumpkins? i've got one that is already cut in the fridge how long should it last in there? and if i freeze it how is best to prepare it for freezing? and if anyone has any good recipes for pumpkin either sweet or savoury that would be great.

Answer 1

As you can tell, I'm a bit of a pumpkin nut! I think I've answered all your questions, hope this helps!

How best to freeze it:
Freezing is the easiest way to preserve pumpkin, and it yields the best quality product.
Wash, cut into cooking-size sections and remove seeds. Cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, in a pressure cooker, or in an oven. Remove pulp from rind and mash. To cool, place pan containing pumpkin in cold water and stir occasionally. Pack into rigid containers leaving headspace, and freeze.

Storage
Store whole, mature pumpkins several months in a dry, airy location—50°F to 55°F with a relative humidity of 60 percent to 75 percent. Smaller cut pumpkins can be wrapped in plastic and stored inside the refrigerator for a few days.

Recipes:
Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 cup regular, uncooked oats
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup low-fat or skim milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine oats and buttermilk and let stand for 15 minutes to soften. Mix eggs, oil, pumpkin and milk and blend well. Combine dry ingredients and mix with the egg mixture. Add oats and buttermilk and blend until batter is fairly smooth. Add extra milk if batter is too thick. Bake on lightly greased griddle.

Makes: 4 servings.

Pumpkin Potluck

Surround the pumpkin on the platter with a variety of cooked vegetables for color and you have the perfect centerpiece for your fall potluck dinner!

1 medium-sized pumpkin
2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 101/2-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked rice, hot

To prepare pumpkin: Wash it thoroughly and pat dry. On a firm surface, use a sharp knife to cut out stem, leaving about three inches around it. Cut on a diagonal by slanting knife from outer edge of pumpkin toward center. Save top of pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and stringy membrane; save seed for roasting. Replace top and begin baking on a lightly greased baking sheet at 375°F while preparing the meat mixture.

Brown ground beef over medium heat, stirring to break up. drain off fat and stir in chopped vegetables. Cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender-crisp; about ten minutes. Stir in salt, soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, soup and rice. Remove pumpkin from oven and spoon mixture into prepared pumpkin. Replace top of pumpkin, return to oven and continue baking about one hour or until pumpkin is tender, To serve, spoon meat filling and cooked pumpkin onto plates.

Makes: 6 to 8 servings.

Pumpkin-Apple Butter
(click for printer-friendly version)

1/2 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup apple juice or cider
2 cups pureed pumpkin or other winter squash
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup natural apple sauce
1/4 cup agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener such as maple syrup)
1/4 cup sugar (or other sweetener to taste)
pinch salt (optional)

Put the raisins in a medium-sized saucepan, and pour the apple juice over them. Heat on low until raisins plump up, adding water if they get dry. When they are plump, puree the raisins in the juice. (You may need to add a little water to do this; I used a hand blender and blended the pumpkin along with the raisins.)

Return the pureed raisins to the pan and add all remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Makes about 3 cups.

Answer 2

I've got loads of pumpkins from my allotment . Best plan here is to make masses of tasty soup an then freeze it . Try this recipe :

Pumpkin-cut into cubes
Garlic cloves x4-peeled
stock--litre.

Place pumpkin cubes an garlic on baking tray an drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 40 mins on a medium heat .
Then blend all ingriedients and place into a large .
Season to taste with salt an pepper
gorgeous.

Answer 3

Pumpkin and bacon soup,

You need 8 rasher of bacon, streaky chopped.
1 Onion peeled and chopped
1tsp coriander
One pound 10 oz pumpkin in chunks (seeded)
2 Medium Potatoes chopped
salt and pepper
2 Vegetable stock cubes
Single Cream, Fresh coriander and naan bread or chunky bread which ever you prefer to serve.

1. Heath a large pan and dry fry, bacon, for 5 Min's until crisp and golden. Then add the oil onion to the pan and fry for a few Min's until golden brown.

2. Add the coriander and fry for 1 min, add pumpkin, potatoes and stock season with salt and pepper and cover and simmer for 15 Min's until veg's are soft.

Blend the soup in a blender until smooth, Store in fridge when your ready to serve heat soup add a spoon of cream, coriander and more pepper serve with crusty bread or nann bread

Store in fridge or freeze as you would with any other soup.

Answer 4

They're orange and you can make sweet and savoury dishes from them they are suitable for freezing. Once opened you should freeze or consume it within 3 or 4 days. slice or chop into small sections to help defrosting if you're gonna freeze it .

Hope that helps x

Answer 5

You can't keep it for more than 3-4 days in the fridge.

If you haven't cut them, keep them in a cool dark place and used them as needed, until late winter. Then puree and freeze in zipper plastic bags.

Lot of links to recipes.

Answer 6

Cook the pumkin by roasting it in half on a cooking sheet in the oven for an hour. Scoop the flesh, mash it up, and put it in a zip lock bag in the freezer for about a month or 2.

Answer 7

When I get my hands on a fresh pumpkin I roast it in the oven until it's soft, then mash it, then put it in the freezer.
I use it to make curried pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin loaf. (not pie though, I don't like pumpkin pie)
Also pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin waffles.

Answer 8

Pumpkins make great carriages for going to the local Prince's evening ball. However, make sure you return by midnight.

Answer 9

I love pumpkin,its gorgeous roasted like roast potatoes.

Answer 10

I just know the usual Pumpkin pie or soup !!!