Guide

Fruit and Vegetable Guide

Pumpkins

Autumn, Winter

Description: Pumpkins come in various sizes (traditionally round) and colors (traditionally orange). Some have been especially developed for pie making and seed roasting. Smaller pumpkins are generally better for cooking.

Selection: Make sure to buy the right pumpkin for your purpose. Pumpkins should be bright colored, firm and have the stem attached.

Storage and handling: Store whole pumpkins 1-2 months in a dry, cool, well-ventilated spot. Once cut, pumpkin will keep refrigerated in a loosely sealed plastic bag for about a week. Wash outside of pumpkin before cutting.

Preparation: Bake unpeeled
halves or wedges, seeds and pulp removed, flesh side down in a pan with a little water at 350F / 180C, 60-90 minutes. Steam chunks, covered, in a basket over boiling water, 15-20 minutes. Boil chunks 8-12 minutes or microwave in a covered dish, 8 minutes. Toss seeds with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon
per cup of seeds) and salt
(1⁄2-1 teaspoon per cup of seeds), spread on a cookie sheet, and bake at 250F / 120C until dry.

Serving suggestions: Not usually eaten raw. Use puréed cooked pumpkin in soups, bread (SIS, p. 178), pie, and cheesecake (SIS, p. 218).

Nutrients (when boiled): Vitamins A and C, riboflavin; potassium; alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants; fiber.

1 lb raw = 2 cups chopped
1 lb cooked = 1 cup

The Fruit and Vegetable Guide is reproduced here with permission of Herald Press, publisher of Simply in Season.

Subscribe to a recipe a week from the Simply in Season cookbook.


	Guide General Tips Apples Asparagus Beets Blueberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Collards Corn Cranberries Cucumbers Edamame Edible flowers Eggplant Fennel Grapes Green beans Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Melon Mesclun Mushrooms Okra Onions Parsnips Peaches Pears Peas Peppers Persimmons Potatoes Pumpkins Raspberries Rhubarb Rutabagas Spinach Summer squash Strawberries Swiss chard Sweet potatoes Tomatillos Tomatoes Turnips Wild greens Winter squash Fruit and Vegetable Guide Pumpkins Autumn, Winter Description: Pumpkins come in various sizes (traditionally round) and colors (traditionally orange). Some have been especially developed for pie making and seed roasting. Smaller pumpkins are generally better for cooking. Selection: Make sure to buy the right pumpkin for your purpose. Pumpkins should be bright colored, firm and have the stem attached. Storage and handling: Store whole pumpkins 1-2 months in a dry, cool, well-ventilated spot. Once cut, pumpkin will keep refrigerated in a loosely sealed plastic bag for about a week. Wash outside of pumpkin before cutting. Preparation: Bake unpeeled halves or wedges, seeds and pulp removed, flesh side down in a pan with a little water at 350F / 180C, 60-90 minutes. Steam chunks, covered, in a basket over boiling water, 15-20 minutes. Boil chunks 8-12 minutes or microwave in a covered dish, 8 minutes. Toss seeds with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon per cup of seeds) and salt (1⁄2-1 teaspoon per cup of seeds), spread on a cookie sheet, and bake at 250F / 120C until dry. Serving suggestions: Not usually eaten raw. Use puréed cooked pumpkin in soups, bread (SIS, p. 178), pie, and cheesecake (SIS, p. 218). Nutrients (when boiled): Vitamins A and C, riboflavin; potassium; alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants; fiber. 1 lb raw = 2 cups chopped 1 lb cooked = 1 cup The Fruit and Vegetable Guide is reproduced here with permission of Herald Press, publisher of Simply in Season. Subscribe to a recipe a week from the Simply in Season cookbook.
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