For the low price of $2.99 a small organic sugar pumpkin was purchased from a local organic farmers market to use in a number of favorite bake good recipes. To prepare an organic sugar pumpkin for use in home baking requires a few preparations.
Tools Needed to Cook an Organic Sugar Pumpkin
- Microwave oven with a rotating glass tray
- Wax paper
- Microwavable plate
- Cutting knife
- Spoon
- Cutting board
- Paring Knife
- Tea towel
- Large ceramic bowl
- Electric handmixer
How to Prepare the Pumpkin for Cooking
Wash a fresh pumpkin from the local organic market. Use a tea towel to pat it dry on the outside. Place the pumpkin on a cutting board. Carefully, use a cutting knife and slice the pumpkin into segments. Use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds.
Next place the pumpkin slices onto a microwavable plate with rind facing up and the flesh facing down. Add a few tablespoons of water to plate of pumpkin segments. Take a sheet of wax paper and fold over the pumpkin.
Cook the Pumpkin
Use the potato feature on the microwave. The potato feature register about 8 minutes. Remove the plate of microwaved pumpkin from the microwave. The pumpkin flesh should be soft and mushy. Let the segments cool.
Remove the Pumpkin Rind
Use a paring knife to separate the skin from the pumpkin flesh and let it cool. The pulp can now be used as pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin recipes that call for tinned pumpkin could be substituted with pumpkin puree.
Pumpkin Puree
- Cooked pumpkin
- 3 slices of tinned pineapple
- Peeled and sliced apple
- 6 tablespoons of pineapple juice
- Optional is ground ginger and cinnamon to taste
Place cooked pumpkin puree in a ceramic bowl. Use a handmixer and puree the pulp until smooth. To sweeten add 3 pineapple slices and approximately 6 tablespoons of juice. Next peel a fresh organic apple and slice into thin pieces. Add to the puree pumpkin and use the handmixer to create pumpkin puree. Ground fresh ginger or dried ginger can be added to puree as well as ground cinnamon. The scent of pumpkin puree when mixed with fresh ground ginger and cinnamon adds a new aroma that is soothing and refreshing.
Uses of Pumpkin Puree
This particular pumpkin puree is suitable in recipes for muffins or loaves. As with many recipes that use purees such as applesauce, pumpkin puree means less sugar and oil need to be used. Instead of milk, pumpkin puree sweetened with pineapple juice is also a nice alternative when added to muffin and loaves. Using pumpkin purees with various spices and fruits is a delightful way to create new bake goods that are light and fruity in flavour. What could be more soothing than a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread flavoured with ginger and cinnamon?
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