I’m about to head out to the Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market this morning…it’s supposed to be nice, but cold.  Hopefully I’ll see some of you there.  I have donuts! (and cider, caramel apples and apples too…)  Before I left I wanted to post our simple instructions for cooking pie pumpkins.  These are available to purchase at our shop.

Why would anyone want to cook with fresh pumpkin when they can buy canned pumpkin from the store?

For the same reason you buy apples at our orchard instead of the store.  Because the taste is worth the extra effort.  Here’s how to prepare your pumpkin for use in recipes.  Recipes usually call for 2 cups of pumpkin.

1. Wash the pumpkin.
2. Heat the oven to 350-degree.
3. Split the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp.
4. Place pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake for about one hour or until the pumpkin is very tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Let the cooked pumpkin cool completely.
6. Spoon the soft pulp out of the shell.
7. If your pumpkin is stringy, use a food processor or blender to puree it.
8. Put the pumpkin in a strainer and let it drain.  Get as much of the water out of it as you can.
9. Use the pumpkin in recipes or you can freeze or can it for later use.
10. If you are going to freeze the pumpkin, put 2 cups in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. 
11. If you are going to can the pumpkin, put two cups of pumpkin into a clean pint jar.  Cook at ten pounds pressure for 20 minutes.  Quarts 40 minutes.