How to Cook Pumpkin is Knowing Types of Pumpkins for Cooking Pumpkins

When we think of how to cook pumpkin, the first thing that comes to our minds is pumpkin pie. There are however, many dishes and desserts made from pumpkin.

The pumpkin is part of the winter squash family and is one of the most popular crops grown in the United States. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible including the shell when young and tender. Roasted seeds are delicious as a snack. Even the leaves and flowers are edible.

When learning how to cook pumpkin, they are not all the same. Many of the large beautiful pumpkins grown for jack o lanterns do not have the same good flavor as cooking pumpkins. Sugar pumpkins make great pumpkin pies and other desserts. They are smaller and sweeter. The Nestle Company processes all most all of the canned pumpkin here in the US from sugar pumpkins grown in Illinois according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

NOTE: Summer and winter squash refers to the storage life of these vegetables. Summer squash have a shorter storage life where as winter squash will store longer.

PUMPKIN CHEESE PUDDING

• 2 Cups cottage cheese


• 3 Cups canned pumpkin


• 4 Eggs


• ½ Cup sugar


• 1/8 Teaspoon sea salt


• ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth.

Pour mixture into 6 buttered custard cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place cups in a baking pan and pour a little hot water around them.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until pudding is firm and a knife inserted comes out clean.

Cool and then refrigerate to chill.

PUMPKIN OATMEAL BARS

• 1 Cup old fashioned oats


• 1 Cup unsifted flour


• 1 Cup packed brown sugar


• 1 Teaspoon baking powder


• ¼ Teaspoon salt


• 1 Cup canned pumpkin


• 1 Beaten egg


• ½ Cup butter, melted


• 1 Teaspoon vanilla


• ½ Cup raisins


• ½ Cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Combine oats, flour, and baking powder, salt and mix together.

Combine the pumpkin, egg, butter, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Stir in the raisins and peanuts and spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly brown.

Let cool before cutting.

PUMPKIN CAKE (Easy cake recipe)

• ½ Cup soft butter


• 1 ¼ Cups sugar


• 2 Eggs


• 2 ¼ Cups flour


• 3 Teaspoons baking powder


• ½ Teaspoon nutmeg


• ½ Teaspoon ginger


• 1 Cup cooked pumpkin


• ¼ Cup milk


• ½ Teaspoon soda


• ½ Cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour a 9x13 inch cake pan.

Measure and sift flour.

Sift flour again with the baking powder, salt and spices.

Cream the butter and sugar adding the eggs, the pumpkin and soda.

Add the flour to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

Stir in the nuts and spread in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 55 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Let set until cold before frosting.

FROST WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 Ounces soft cream cheese


• 4 Tablespoons cream


• 1/8 Teaspoon salt


• 2 ½ to 3 Cups confectionary sugar

Cream the cheese, cream and salt.

Add the sugar gradually until at a good spreading consistency.

Frost top of cake.

If you are looking for recipes on how to cook pumpkin you will find that many of them can use other vegetables from the squash family.

For more delicious vegetable recipes try these below!

• Three delicious ways of how to cook zucchini


• Three ways on how to cook summer squash


• Three ways on how to cook acorn squash

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