Pumpkin
Brandon Trompeter
History Of the Pumpkin
Nutritional Facts
How to Select and Store
Store in a cool, dry place, such as an attic or spare room at 45 to 60 degrees F. up to a month, or refrigerate for up to three months.
How to prepare a Pumpkin to be steamed
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.
Other uses besides eating pumpkin
- Make a Jack O' Lantern
- Use them as serving bowls
- Use the pumpkin to plant and plant. It will look good for a few days then it will break down and be fertilizer.
5 Facts about pumpkins
- Over 1.5 Billion Pounds of Pumpkins are produced each year in the United States.
- The worlds largest Pumpkin was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 1,800 Pounds.
- The largest Pumpkin Pie weighed 2,020 pounds.
- Pumpkins are fruit.
- Pumpkins are 90% Water.
Recipe 1 (Pumpkin Bread)
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly bean
16 ounces canned unsweetened pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup waterDirections:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9 by 5 loaf pans. Stir together sugar and oil. Stir in eggs and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, alternating. Divide batter between two loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool.
Recipe 2 (Pumpkin Pie)
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for toppingDirections:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.