How to Repurpose Your Decorative Pumpkins

Yesterday I had a busy day of taking down all of my Thanksgiving decorations and putting up Christmas ones. I went around the house collecting all of the fall decor and put it on the table in preparation for boxing it up. It just looked like a picture I had to share. It somehow doesn't look the same in a jumbled mess. Taking down the fall decor and putting up the Christmas sparkles took all day. While I was boxing up and unboxing I was able to enjoy the lovely smell of a pumpkin baking in the oven.

I finally decided to cook up my pumpkins that still looked perfect after decorating my dining room for two months. It was so much easier than I imagined and I'm so glad I didn't just throw them away. We occasionally carve pumpkins, but the kids are not all that eager so they usually stay uncarved and inside protected from our huge squirrel population. As a bonus fall tip to keep in mind for next year, squirrels don't eat gourd. Gourds come in lots of fun shapes and sizes making them fun to use as fall decorations. Our outdoor decorations stayed up for most of October and November and the squirrels left them alone.

However, just like the squirrels, I don't really care to eat my gourds. But don't just throw out your pumpkins. I used to think only pie pumpkins could be cooked, but thanks to my good friend and fellow home economist, Brigette, I learned your large pumpkins can be cooked and used in countless ways as well. The nice thing about a larger pumpkin is that you get so much out of one pumpkin and it can be stored in your freezer. It also seems like free food because I would have bought the pumpkins to decorate anyway.

Method for Cooking a Whole Pumpkin

1. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin to remove any dirt. If the stem is too big to fit into your oven, snap it off.

2. Place the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet and stab the pumpkin with a knife several times all around (6-10 times)

3. Cook the pumpkin in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 1 1/2–2 hours or until a fork easily penetrates the skin and flesh. You will probably need to move your oven rack to the lowest setting and remove the extra rack in order to fit your pumpkin into the oven. As you can see, I tested the doneness with a fork in multiple places to make sure it was ready. 

4. Cut the pumpkin in half and let cool for about 20 minutes or until it is easy to handle.

5. Remove the seeds, stringy part, and any water that collected while cooling. Save the seeds for roasting if desired.

6. Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin and put it into a food processor and process until smooth. Repeat this step until all of the flesh is processed. You don't need to add any water like you do when pureeing sweet potatoes since the pumpkin has so much natural liquid.

7. Allow pureed pumpkin to sit on the counter in a bowl for about 30 minutes. Pour off any water that collects on the top of the pumpkin before packaging for the freezer. *For tips on how to use the pumpkin juice including pumpkin syrup, check out this helpful post from Trial and Error Home Ec.

8. Dived up your pumpkin for freezing. I froze mine in two ways. I have a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop that makes measuring super easy, but you can use a regular measuring cup if you prefer. I put some half cup scoops on a silicone mat lined baking sheet to flash freeze and then stored in a freezer bag. The rest I scooped 2 cups worth of pumpkin into quart freezer bags. 

9. When thawing pumpkin, pour off any extra liquid before using in baking. Use the fresh pumpkin just like you would canned pumpkin.

Uses for Pumpkin Puree

There are as many uses for fresh pumpkin puree as canned, so I will not restate the obvious. The one difference that you may notice is that it is lighter in color than canned.

The nice thing about fresh pumpkin is that, well, it tastes fresh. I wouldn't normally think to open a can of pumpkin puree and serve it as a side vegetable, but last night we ate fresh pumpkin puree just like we would squash with butter, salt, and pepper. It was delicious! However you enjoy eating squash or sweet potatoes you can enjoy fresh pumpkin. 

Fresh pumpkin is also a great way to boost the nutrition of soups and sauces. The half cup scoops of pumpkin will be used for that purpose while the 2 cup bags will be used for recipes.

Do you cook up your decorative pumpkins? What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy it?