Pie pumpkins vs. others for baking/cooking

[SaraCate]

Any reason not to use 'regular' pumpkins for cooking/baking, esp. in recipes where it's mingled with other flavors? One of our groceries is doing pumpkins for 99c each this week, and in size, they appear to be somewhere between a pie pumpkin and what is often sold as a jack-o-lantern pumpkin here. I've cooked with pumpkin/squash a LOT, but never ventured into using larger commercial pumpkins...but if I can get 3,4,5 times or more bang for my buck in terms of quantity, without *too* much compromise in flavor, I'll go for it in a second! Upping seasonings - or even unrefined sweetneres, a little bit - isn't an issue to me. DS and I love squash soups and I'm in pre-baby nesting phase of filling the freezer right now, so...

(And everyone here loves pumpkin desserts/custards/etc.)

Any thoughts??

Thanks!

[ollyoxenfree]

From the other pumpkin thread, it seems like a few people use jack-o'lanterns for cooking and some prefer the flavour. Personally, I use pie pumpkins for baking, but it's just tradition and habit, I think. I have used squash for pie too, which is much less sweet than a pie pumpkin.

[Jayray]

I have always used the big pumpkins for cooking until just this year. I didn't notice a difference in flavor with the expensive pie pumpkins I bought.

[SpuglyRoo]

I would say go for it just be prepared to possibly adjust seasonings/sweeteners to taste. Some people actually prefer the flavor of the larger pumpkins to that of the pie pumpkins. You may be pleasantly surprised!

[nicky85]

I've used the big ones from the farmer's market for making cookies and pie. They work fine!

[CanBoo]

DH likes to carve a gazillion pumpkins to decorate around the yard. He does it the day before Halloween and they are still good the next day for cooking. So I use the big ones A LOT. The freezer will be full of it in a couple weeks

I find that they work great for soups and stews, and that's what we mainly do with them. However the problem with putting them in a pie or in muffins is not the flavour, but the fact that they seem much more watery. That kind of throws the whole recipe off.

[cschick]

Originally Posted by SaraCate

Any reason not to use 'regular' pumpkins for cooking/baking, esp. in recipes where it's mingled with other flavors? One of our groceries is doing pumpkins for 99c each this week, and in size, they appear to be somewhere between a pie pumpkin and what is often sold as a jack-o-lantern pumpkin here. I've cooked with pumpkin/squash a LOT, but never ventured into using larger commercial pumpkins...but if I can get 3,4,5 times or more bang for my buck in terms of quantity, without *too* much compromise in flavor, I'll go for it in a second! Upping seasonings - or even unrefined sweetneres, a little bit - isn't an issue to me. DS and I love squash soups and I'm in pre-baby nesting phase of filling the freezer right now, so...

The big pumpkins tend to produce a more watery puree. If you let the puree sit and then drain off the water, you'll be fine.

But I'm not sure you're going to get that much more puree out of a big pumpkin than a pie pumpkin. Their walls tend to be thinner and their "meat" far less dense (which is why the puree turns out watery). I don't think you'll be getting 3, 4, or 5 times the puree.

[SpuglyRoo]

Originally Posted by CanBoo

However the problem with putting them in a pie or in muffins is not the flavour, but the fact that they seem much more watery. That kind of throws the whole recipe off.

Yeah, you will have to cook the pulp down to concentrate it, strain the pulp with cheesecloth, or just adjust the moisture content of the recipe somehow (less butter perhaps?).

But that can happen regardless of the type of pumpkin. Sometimes you just get a more watery one.

[Storm Bride]

I've always used Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins for baking. I had no idea until a couple of years ago that pie pumpkins were something different. I've never seen any other kind of pumpkin for sale, except in cans.

[SaraCate]

Thanks, everyone! I figured it should be fine, but I knew there'd be folks here with firsthand experience!

I'm comfortable adjusting recipes, so extra moisture (or letting it drain) is not an issue for me. And one of oour favorites is fresh pumpkin butter, which just cooks uhntil it's thick enough for your taste anyway.

Originally Posted by cschick

But I'm not sure you're going to get that much more puree out of a big pumpkin than a pie pumpkin. Their walls tend to be thinner and their "meat" far less dense (which is why the puree turns out watery). I don't think you'll be getting 3, 4, or 5 times the puree.

While I didn't think about this, I didn't necessarily think I'd get 3+ times the puree - if I get the same amount, I'd still be getting 3x the "bang for my buck." The pumpkins in question are sale-priced at 99c/ea this week, and pie pumpkins tend to start at a best price of $2.99 around here.

[karanyavel]

I haven't had any problems using the Jack O'Lantern pumpkins for pie, cookies, cake, etc. Mostly I make just-barely-sweet pumpkin cookies (I don't care for sweets) but I've also made several pies for my husband.

I think the pulp wasn't watery because we baked, rather than boiled, the pumpkin. Or maybe it's a regional thing and our pumpkins are drier.. haha. We didn't strain it or anything, just baked it, scooped it out, stuffed it in baggies and put it in the freezer.

One large Jack O'Lantern pumpkin (25 or 30 lbs) yielded about 15-20 lbs of processed flesh and a ton of delicious pumpkin seeds. I buy them on clearance after Halloween for a buck each.

--K