How to process a LOT of pumpkin?

[craft_media_hero]

What would be the most efficient way to process and store (freeze, I think) a dozen pumpkins with more on the way?

I've only ever gutted/carved pumpkins for Halloween but this year we want to eat them

Ideas for meals and the fastest way to get through these gourds? Do we have a special gutting tool ?

TIA

[karanyavel]

For me, the easiest way to process pumpkin is to chop it in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, then bake it in the oven until it's fork-tender. Then you can just scoop out the soft pumpkin and use it for whatever.

I can't recall what temperature we used... 350 or so I think?

We froze our baked pumpkin pulp in baggies and used it for all kinds of stuff, but the favorite around here was pumpkin oatmeal cookies!

--K

[ollyoxenfree]

Do you have enough room to store some and process a few at a time? Are they the smaller pie pumpkins or the big Halloween type?

I prefer to remove seeds and then bake the pumpkin. I puree the pulp before I freeze it, so that it has a uniform consistency for soup, muffins, etc. You can cook pumpkin in a pan on the stove though.

If you need to process them all at once, you need to maximize use of your stove and oven. I'd probably boil or steam a couple on the stovetop and at the same time, bake another couple in the oven. Then I'd label the containers so you know which is which, in case it matters in the recipe. I don't think it usually matters, so if you skip labeling, it's probably okay.

The only tool I have for gutting is a regular spoon! I imagine Williams Sonoma has something for the job though.

[Drummer's Wife]

Freezing the pulp in baggies sounds good to me. Pumpkin seems to defrost well, especially when used in baked goods.

No tips on gutting them, though. I love fresh pumpkin .

[cristeen]

Best gutting tool ive ever found is my hand.

If these are jack olantern pumpkins, they're not really suitable for eating. If they're sugar pumpkins, then i'd quarter and roast, but they will keep in a cool dark place for months, so no need to rush the processing.

[karanyavel]

Originally Posted by cristeen

If these are jack olantern pumpkins, they're not really suitable for eating

We eat (and enjoy) Jack O'Lantern pumpkins. I find the pie pumpkins way too sweet.

Anyway, just sayin'... Jack O'Lantern pumpkins are definitely edible and a few weirdos like me actually prefer them.

--K

[SpuglyRoo]

I did it myself for the first time here and I just used a large metal soup spoon to do the scooping.

Depending on the size of your pumpkins (and oven) you may be able to roast more than one at a time. I used up the pulp into cookies, bread, and two soups, but I think it would have been delicious on its own as a side with perhaps a little salt and pepper.

Keep in mind that you will have a lot of pumpkin to use up. If you have a cool dry space to store them, I might hold off on processing all of them unless you have a lot of freezer space you'd like to dedicate to pumpkin puree, or are planning on eating it relatively quickly. If you decide to freeze it, the only way I have experience with doing so is in Ziploc baggies. Put a small amount of puree in the baggie (the amount you will typically be using in your recipes, you don't want to have to defrost huge bags of puree when you may only need 1 cup) and let the air out. Lay the baggies down and spread the puree flat. It will defrost faster this way, and on the off chance you don't want to defrost a whole bag, you may be able to break it in half to get closer to the amount you want. It will also be able to stack or line up with the other bags.

Final point to keep in mind is that you won't have an even consistency from batch to batch like canned pumpkin puree. Either expect to need to use a little more of your homemade puree (adjusting the liquid content of the recipe a bit) or cook it down to make it more concentrated, or strain it over a cheesecloth. I left it as it was and just used more (one less step).

It was delicious and I will definitely be doing it again.

[painefaria]

We have eaten both kinds (pie/jackolantern) I like to process them in the crock pot. I clean them and slice them up into manageable chunks and place in the crock with a little water on the bottom. We freeze in baggies in 2C portions, just enough for a pie

[GardenStream]

I was just about to head out and buy a canned pumpkin for my black bean soup tonight. Maybe I'll just head over to the garden and grab one of the ones that was too small for carving, I've got about 8 of them over there.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by painefaria

We have eaten both kinds (pie/jackolantern) I like to process them in the crock pot. I clean them and slice them up into manageable chunks and place in the crock with a little water on the bottom. We freeze in baggies in 2C portions, just enough for a pie

Slow cooker is a great idea. What setting do you use and how long does it generally take? Thanks in advance.

[craft_media_hero]

Thanks for all the tips!

We have both Halloween and sugar pumpkin---maybe I will puree and mix together to even out the taste. Right now they are artfully piled in my living room

I can hold them for a while but I'd rather just do it all in one day and stick it in the freezer (we have a 3/4 size one that is only about half full).