Why do you grow pumpkins?

[davaroo]

For the fun and food. Pumpkins are marrows or what we call, "winter squashes," and can be eaten like all their kin.

Roast them and eat as a vegetable. Pumpkin soup is good, too.
But I just like to bake them and eat, as is.

The seeds can be roasted, too. Lori loves them with a dash of salt.

They can also be fed to livestock and of course they store very well, so you can eat them all the way to early spring if they are stored properly.

But lets face it - there is nothing as appealing as a bunch of pumpkins ripening in a field. That It just reeks of a good gardener doing his thing.

 

[digitS']

It just reeks of a good gardener doing his thing.

I hadn't thought of that . . . more motivation.

Personally, besting a good winter squash in the kitchen with a pun'kin just isn't likely to happen. But, I'm not completely versed in "all things pumpkin."

I grow pumpkins each and every year for jack o'lanterns. After I've made my contribution to frightening neighborhood preschoolers, the jack o'lanterns come back in the house to be peeled, steamed, frozen, and used for chicken food thru the winter. At least, that's what I did last year.

There's a lot of meat in one of those big orange things!! Oh, and don't neglect to use those eye holes and gaping, toothless mouths you cut out.

Chickens are more appreciative than the children and give treats.

Steve

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

You guys are SO totally NOT FAIR! Now I have something else to obsess about until spring. I'm already dreaming of trying out Cherokee Purple and INdian Stripe tomatoes....I mean, literally waking up in the middle of the night thinking of the blasted things.....lol!! If I had the seed I would risk trying to grow some NOW!!

 

[wifezilla]

Pumpkin seeds roasted in butter with worcheshire sauce is AMAZING!
http://www.examiner.com/x-798-Denver-LowCarb-Examiner~y2008m9d10-Recipe-Perky-Pumpkin-Seeds

It makes a fantastic stew thickener...
https://www.examiner.com/x-798-Denver-Low-Carb-Examiner~y2009m3d20-LindaSues-Beefy-Mushroom-Soup

I also use it to make low carb pancakes.

 

[davaroo]

It just reeks of a good gardener doing his thing.

I hadn't thought of that . . . more motivation.

Personally, besting a good winter squash in the kitchen with a pun'kin just isn't likely to happen. But, I'm not completely versed in "all things pumpkin."

I grow pumpkins each and every year for jack o'lanterns. After I've made my contribution to frightening neighborhood preschoolers, the jack o'lanterns come back in the house to be peeled, steamed, frozen, and used for chicken food thru the winter. At least, that's what I did last year.

There's a lot of meat in one of those big orange things!! Oh, and don't neglect to use those eye holes and gaping, toothless mouths you cut out.

Chickens are more appreciative than the children and give treats.

Steve

The trick to making pumpkin taste better is............ sugar

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Also, grow the pumpkins meant for eating (sugar pumpkins), not the ones meant for jack-o-lanterns.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Here's a recipe for a great cake -- it's very like one my ex-chef used to make for my restaurant. This is made with already canned pumpkin but she would cook pieces fresh when they were in season. It was very popular.

http://www.fortysomething.ca/2009/08/streusel_pumpkin_cake.php#more

She also used to bake pieces of pumpkin along with lots of other veg & then use these in a vegetarian lasagna. It was very chunky & totally delicious -- we also made a strata with the mixed roast veg -- I had never heard of stratas before I went to Georgia & had a great holiday touring around, staying in some lovely B&B's & meeting their fun owners. My ex-chef is a New Zealand woman who is a great cook & wonderfully trained -- she now runs her own B&B here in Britain.


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[deenamr]

I make pumpkin butter and it is soooo good. Sometimes I will then mix it with cream cheese to make a spread for my bagels. When I gave a jar to a friend she started mixing it in her oatmeal. I haven't tried it but she said it was amazingly good and tasted like fall.

What we don't eat I leave for the chickens. They love them.

 

[wifezilla]

I almost forgot about pumpkin cheesecake!

I used this recipe on some of my son's friends. They had NO CLUE it was sugar free

http://www.examiner.com/x-798-Denve...1d7-Recipe-Low-Carb-NoBake-Pumpkin-Cheesecake

 

[RedClayGardener]

I am looking forward to making pumpkin beer. One of the best things about fall!