Cooking Raw Pumpkins (Or Other Squash)

Please be careful if you use carved Halloween pumpkins. Making pies out of your jack-o’ lanterns is fine, as long as you follow these guidelines:

1. Smaller, organic pumpkins have more flavor than the larger, conventionally-farmed pumpkins. To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t make a pie from a non-organic jack-o’-lantern pumpkin — too much effort and not enough taste.
2. Cook them less than 24 hours after carving them.
3. Keep all the small cut-out pieces in the fridge because they can be used, too!
4. Make sure the temperature outside doesn’t rise above 50 degrees F.
5. Be very careful to remove all the candle wax!
6. Rinse them carefully, check for insects, and cut away burned bits.

One sugar-pie pumpkin usually yields 2 cups of cooked material, sometimes more, sometimes less. A pumpkin pie won’t be ruined if the pumpkin you choose comes up a little short after cooking. To avoid surprises, it’s best to choose one eight or more inches tall. Organic pumpkins taste better and will be more naturally sweet.

Cut the pumpkin into at least 4 chunks. Scrape out the seeds and stringy material and discard (or rinse and then toast the seeds in the oven and eat them).

Caution: Do not attempt to put stringy pumpkin guts in your sink disposal!

There are two easy ways to cook the pumpkin chunks: Bake the chunks, skin side up, on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for one hour. Alternatively, simmer the chunks in large pot for one hour.

Careful: badly overcooked pumpkin, especially when boiled, disintegrates easily.

Remove pumpkin chunks from the heat or the pot of water and let cool. When they are still warm yet cool enough to handle, scrape the meat from the skin, and discard the skin. Mound all the pumpkin into a bowl.