Rooted Ramblings: Pumpkin harvests make Thanksgiving delicious

By Shannon Osorio, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer

Is there any better holiday meal than Thanksgiving? A meal made delicious because many of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes contain foods that originate in the Americas. These include turkey, cranberries, sage, green beans, corn, potatoes, and maybe best of all pumpkins! Pumpkins originated about 9000 years ago. The earliest known pumpkin seeds came from Mexico and date to about 6000 BC. These days we use pumpkins of all kinds for decorations both outdoors and indoors. We also consume many of these pumpkins.

Pumpkins are a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. Technically a fruit, they grow on vines during the warm season like their many cousins, including cucumbers and watermelon. Pumpkins are a winter squash, which means that they grow a thick rind that offers protection for storage two months or more after harvesting. The good news is that all parts of the pumpkin are edible, although we most commonly eat the flower, seed, and flesh. Did you know that canned pumpkin is a different species than the orange pumpkin we use for carving? Cucurbita moschata is used for canning. This species has denser, drier flesh that works well for industrial processing.

For home cooking, we look for C. maxima varieties. These are often orange, but many other colors are available including white, yellow, and green. Pie pumpkins are smaller than most carving pumpkins and have a flavorful, orange flesh best for cooking. One of the easiest ways to cook pumpkin is to cut it in half after removing the stem. Be sure to use a large sharp knife and a steady cutting board. Remove the pith and seeds – save the seeds for eating later. Find instructions for preparing pumpkin seeds here: MSU The pumpkin

Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet, place the sheet in the middle of an oven at 375 F and add a cup or so of water to the pan to just cover the bottom. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender. They are done when the flesh feels soft beneath the skin. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then scrape the flesh out of the skin. If the flesh is stringy, run it through a food mill. One pound of pumpkin yields about 1 cup of puree.

The puree will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days and can be frozen for up to three months. It is delicious used in recipes that call for a can of pumpkin puree – a scant 1 cup of puree is equivalent to a 15 oz can. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin soup, pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin risotto recipes – yum! Try this recipe from The Ohio State Extension Service that combines both pumpkin and zucchini.

Zucchini Pumpkin Bread

Time: Approximately 1½ hours

Ingredients

• Non-stick spray
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ of a 15 oz. can pumpkin or 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (scant 1 cup)
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract (regular or imitation)
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (~1 large zucchini)

Cooking Instructions

1. Before you begin, wash your hands, surfaces, utensils, tops of cans, and vegetables.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
4. Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and use a whisk or fork to combine.
5. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
7. Gently stir in zucchini to pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
8. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Note: To bake muffins instead of a loaf, spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray, fill wells with batter, and bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 F. Do not use muffin-tin liners as the muffins will stick

For more pumpkin information and ideas: Ohioline: Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Squash and Pumpkin

For more great pumpkin recipes: Try Each Part of the Pumpkin in a New Way and Pumpkin Recipes

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Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. As OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, our articles will never endorse specific products or companies. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 •  OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau