Pie Pumpkins

[Pat]

Our pie pumpkins have started coming in earlier than I was expecting. I thought they'd stay on the vine until frost, but our vines are dying. We've started fixing them for the freezer - pumpkin pie time will be here soon. Don't know how anyone else does this but here's what I do.

Wash the pumpkins. Cut them in half (get Mel to do this). Clean out the seeds and yucky stuff. Lay them cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (adjust according to size of pumpkin). Get them out of the oven, flip them over so they will cool faster and just as soon as you can stand touching them, scoop out the pumpkin flesh (leave the outer skin) and mash with a potato masher. I freeze 2 cups per freezer bag because that's what my pie recipe calls for.

Anyone else have any pumpkin tips?

[sunshine]

Save and clean the seeds. . . . coat with oil, season and bake til crunchy.

I do mine the same as you, only I use the food processor, rather than the potato masher to puree them.

[braided-rug]

Sounds like a good idea, what size are your pumpkins? We have different ones here usually. You guys are clever, no cutting!

[braided-rug]

This I think is a Jarradale, it grew in the compost. It is similar to the common Australian pumpkin the Queensland Blue. We eat them. They have a good pumpkin taste. This was taken about 6 months ago, and this is our youngest daughter.

[lynn]

I'll take one of those on the right please! She's a little doll!

[braided-rug]

www.countrylife.net/servlets/sfs?t=contentFeatureArticle&i=953568555281&l=0&b=953568555281&id=1128690343147&FormID=0&customerID=guest

In Australia we are big on boiling vegetables, well traditionally anyway.