Why do you grow pumpkins?

[Broke Down Ranch]

It seems there is such a limited amount of stuff you can do with pumpkins and we're don't each much pie (honestly, that's all I know to do with it) so I never grow it. Am I missing something here?

 

[lesa]

Well, I grow pumpkins for the fun of it!!! It is always astonishing when you see one of those giant things poking out from under the leaves!! Fun to decorate with. But, pumpkin can be eaten as you would eat any winter squash. Cooked, pureed and seasoned. It is quite delicious. I don't know if you have chickens, but they LOVE pumpkins and the seeds are a natural wormer... If you don't care for pumpkins, I wouldn't feel too bad about not growing them- they do take up an awful lot of room. Enjoy what you do grow!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Pumpkins make wonderful soup. I also use it in casseroles (chicken & boiled bacon as well as pork or beef) & I would serve it in the hollowed-out pumpkin.

We used to always have special harvest suppers in the Autumn & drink good cider or perry at them instead of wine or beer.

Perry is an alchoholic drink made out of a special Perry Pear -- they are not eating pears. The drink is a very old one which fell out of favour but has just been re-branded as Pear Cider-- it has really taken off recently.

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[obsessed]

This will be my second attempt at pumkins this year ( the first the vine borers got to). I try to grow big colorful things to attract my children to the garden. My son could careless if I get lettuce but one big colorful pumkin is worth him coming out there and weeding with me.

 

[vfem]

I have a recipe for spicey pumpkin soup, I made a summer squash stuffing I bet pumpkin would be awesome with and add dried cranberries too... then stuff a turkey!

I also make pumpkin spice biscotti and other cookies...

lots to do with pumpkin!!!!!

 

[bid]

I grew mini pumpkins this year and I grew them to feed the chickens mainly. They are a bit of a novelty 'tho. Cute little pumpkins. They take up just as much room as other varieties also. I may go back to a full size pumpkin next year.

 

[bigredfeather]

For the blooms. They are delicious. Dip in milk, then flour. Pan fry in 1/4" oil. Top w/ powdered sugar. Very tasty!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Pumpkin bread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I made some last weekend (w/ frozen pumpkin from last year). I LOVE it.

Curried pumpkin soup is good too.

 

[big brown horse]

I started with two small (edible-type) pumpkin plants and they have taken over. I couldn't be more delighted! My daughter and her friends had fun counting the blossoms and now the pumpkins themselves.

I plan on eating them (vfem and DrakeMaiden cough up those recipes, they sound delish!!), decorating the porch etc with them and handing them out to children who will stop over.

I will also feed the leftovers to the chickens who already eat pumpkin seeds weekly for the treatment of worms.



:bee I have seen more bumble bees knee deep in those beautiful blossoms than on any other flower out there...they love em. And I like to keep the bees happy. :bee

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Let me see what I can do about recipes . . . .

This is the recipe I used for the soup . Originally published in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

This is the recipe I got from my mom for
Pumpkin Bread

Note: This assumes you have already roasted the pumpkin down and processed the pulp into puree.

Cream together 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar and 2/3 cup soft butter. Add 3 eggs, well beaten, 2 cups pureed pumpkin, plus 1 cup of water. Then add 3 cups flour, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, tsp salt, and tsp baking powder. Mix well. Add 2/3 cup raisins. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake 350 F for 1 hour.

Pumpkin bread goes well with coffee.