Pumpkins Galore

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I see that lots of people still have their Thanksgiving pumpkins sitting around, and some of them might still be good for roasting. Here are some of my conclusions: 

1. A squished looking pumpkin is best. These seem to have smaller seed cavities and more flesh. 

2. A round, jack-o-lantern friendly pumpkin is more likely to have thin, stringy flesh. 

3. Even a thick skin pumpkin can be a little stringy, but the food processor will take care of that. 



Here is another thing I found that was helpful. I bought these on Amazon. They are silicone and allow you to freeze things in one cup portions. I froze the last pumpkin puree like this and it really helped on freezer space. I’m looking forward to using them the next time I make broth. I think broth in 1 cup blocks will be very useful. 

A friend asked me if I was missing the North Carolina Candy Roaster pumpkin. I will say that the Candy Roaster pretty much had it all – thick flesh, firm but not stringy, and sweet pumpkin-y flavor.  In all my trials, I didn’t find anything that was quite that good, but until the Candy Roaster comes to Texas, I will make do. 

I have added several pumpkin recipes to my website as well. You can find them by going to www.holtcuisine.com and searching on pumpkin. I have a couple more to add (the Pumpkin Pecan cheesecake was quite a hit), so keep coming back!

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