Step by Step: Roasting a pumpkin

I don’t know about you, but I have never in my life made a pumpkin recipe with anything but canned pumpkin.

I had no idea how to make pumpkin purée. All I knew was, if I didn’t have a can of pumpkin, I was in trouble…and the husband was going to make a run to the grocery store!

I probably should have posted this a couple weeks ago when Halloween was all the rage. Nevertheless, now is as good a time as any…with Thanksgiving right around the corner! Gosh, I can’t believe how time flies! Can you???

Pictured above are two decorative carving pumpkins that have been displayed so beautifully on our front porch these past couple of weeks. The remaining photos are of a pie pumpkin I picked up from the grocery store.

I did a little research online about the difference between the two types of pumpkin and whether or not it was okay to use the decorative pumpkins for pumpkin purée. I guess it just wasn’t a good day for me on Google. I couldn’t find an answer….until now, after the fact.

During the making of my pumpkin roasting, I noticed a difference in both color and consistency of the flesh of the two types of pumpkins. The pie pumpkin was much smaller than the decorative pumpkins. Because of that, it is more rich and flavorful. The decorative pumpkin’s purée will end up being bland. Sad.

Well, I ended up finding this valuable information after I had already gone through all of the steps to make my own pumpkin purée. But, that’s okay. Still learning!

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for:

How to Roast a Pie Pumpkin

Step 1: Rinse your pumpkin and pull the stem off.

Step 2: Slice the pumpkin in half to expose the guts.

Step 3: Using a spoon or grapefruit spoon, scoop out all the seeds and guts (including all the fibrous strands).

Step 4: Don’t dispose of your seeds. Put them in a colander and set them aside.

Step 5: Place your pumpkin halves upside down on a baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender when you stick a fork in it.