What is the best way to cook a pumpkin?

Question

Im going to attempt making a homemade pumpkin pie today... and i was wondering if anyone had a suggestion on either boiling the pumpkin or baking it... And if you have tasted both which is better??

Answer 1

A 5 star recipe :

Cooked Pumpkin

"Here is an easy method for cooking fresh pumpkin and making your own puree."
Original recipe yield: 4 to 6 cups

INGREDIENTS
1 medium sugar pumpkin

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Cut pumpkin into small manageable pieces and cut off pith and seeds.
Place cut pumpkin skin side up in a large roasting pan. Add 1/4 water and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow pumpkin to cool.
When cooled, cut away skin and mash or puree. Use in any recipe that calls for canned pureed pumpkin.

Answer 2

Below are general cooking and preparation instructions, and you don't have to use the mashed pumpkin right away. Pumpkin purée can be frozen in portions. Spoon cooled, mashed pumpkin into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

To Steam: Halve the pumpkin; remove seeds, pulp, and stringy portion. Cut into small pieces and peel. Place in a steamer or metal colander which will fit in a covered pot. Put over boiling water, cover, and steam for about 50 minutes, or until tender. Mash, purée in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill. Use in any recipe calling for pumpkin purée.

To Boil: Halve the pumpkin; remove seeds, pulp, and stringy portion. Cut into small pieces and peel. Cover with lightly salted water; boil for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Mash, purée in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill.

A 5-pound pumpkin will yield about 4 1/2 cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin. One can of pumpkin, 15 to 16 ounces, yields about 2 cups of mashed pumpkin.
Use in any recipe calling for pumpkin purée.

Answer 3

Don't know if its the best way....... but splitting it up and steaming it is certainly an easy way.
I use that method as it's fast and you can cook it over the water you are cooking something else in too.
Baking is great for serving it with butter and seasoning etc and nutmeg...but if you want it plain, for pie, i would go for steam.
Good luck with your pie!
: )

Answer 4

cut it in big chunks and boil it, then let it cool and spoon the pumpkin out of the shell, it is the easiest way to do it.

Answer 5

Fruit or Veggie? Here's Veggie.
Afghan Pumpkins Kadu Bouranee (Sweet Pumpkin)

2 lb Fresh pumpkin or squash
1/4 cup Corn oil
Sweet Tomato Sauce:
1 tsp Crushed garlic
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
4 oz Tomato sauce
1/2 tsp Ginger root, chopped fine
1 tsp Freshly ground coriander
Seeds
1/4 tsp Black pepper
Yogurt Sauce:
1/4 tsp Crushed garlic
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Plain yogurt
Garnish:
Dry mint leaves, crushed

Method :
Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2-3" cubes; set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Fry the pumpkins on both sides for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in fry pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (I don't know how it's going to evaporate if the pan is covered....-B.) Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce. To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint. May be served with chalow (basmati rice) and naan or pita bread.

Here's fruit.

Caramel-Cream Pumpkin Pie

20 x Caramels 6 oz
1/2 cup Evaporated skim milk
9 x Inch pie shell unbaked
4 oz Cream cheese softened
1 x Egg
1 tbl Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Pumpkin canned
1 x Egg
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
3/4 cup Evaporated skim milk
1 cup Whipping cream
2 tbl Sugar

In a small saucepan combine caramels and the 1/2 cup milk. Cook and stir over low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the caramel mixture for topping; spread remaining caramel mixture in unbaked pie shell. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture in pie shell.
Bake in a 375 oven for 10 minutes or until just set. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, stir together pumpkin, remaining egg, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves until smooth; stir in 3/4 cup milk. Carefully spoon the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer. Cover edge of pie with foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover edge of pie and bake about 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Just before serving, in a small mixing bowl beat whipping cream and the 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon dollops of whipped cream on top of pie and drizzle with reserved caramel mixture.

Answer 6

stew it with other squash and even some cubed pork pieces. =DD