Pumpkins: The Other Gourd

Pumpkins are Mother Nature's way of telling us that it is time to harvest the crops and prepare for the cooler months ahead. Did you know that almost all of the pumpkin can be eaten (except the skin)? The pulp (flesh) is great once stewed, in pies, breads, cakes, beverages, etc. I like to replace any recipe that calls for yams with pumpkin. Pumpkin's favorite spice is sage and the two make a perfect pair. Pumpkin blossoms (like zucchini) can be stuffed and fried for a savory side dish. One of my favorite snacks as a kid was pumpkin seeds. Now as an adult, I can't handle the salt on the commercially made pumpkin seeds and enjoy making my own. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and pat them dry. Spread them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake on 300 degrees for 30 mins or until dried.

It is rumored that Christopher Columbus is said to have carried pumpkin seeds back to Europe where they eventually were grown. Originally they were odd shaped with a long neck. Throughout the years, they became the familiar round "pumpkin shape". Pumpkins are a fruit (they have seeds) and not a vegetable. Here are a few other items that I was surprised were technically defined as fruits: Avocado, string beans, squash, eggplant, green pepper and okra. Yet, I would never want to pick up a piece of slimy okra and eat it like I would an apple.

Pumpkins can come in a variety of colors like green, yellow, red, white, blue, multicolored and more. My daughter favors the white pumpkin but I'm more of a traditionalist and like the orange pumpkin. Pumpkin pie was not served at the first Thanksgiving but instead, history shows a pumpkin custard that was served in small gourds (pumpkins) with the tops cut off. Pumpkin pie didn't appear in our ovens until almost 50 years later. The Pilgrims were the original microbreweries and were years ahead of their time. They were known to make pumpkin beer by fermenting persimmons, hops, maple sugar and pumpkin. Between the peace pipes and the pumpkin beers, I'm sure the First Thanksgivings was one heck of a party!

Early jack-o'-lanterns were carved from turnips and potatoes by the Irish and Scottish and carried in pagan Celtic celebrations, while the English did the same with beets. Lumps of coal were lit on fire and placed inside the hollowed-out root vegetables. When the Pilgrims arrived in America, they continued the tradition with pumpkins.

Pumpkin is nutritionally a good choice and can be prepared savory or sweet.

One cup of pumpkin contains:

49 calories, 0 fat, 2 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 1.4 mg of iron, 22 mg magnesium, 564 mg potassium, 1 mg zinc, .50 selenium, 12 mg vitamin C, 1 mg niacin, 21 mcg folate, 2650 IU Vitamin A and 3 mg Vitamin E. Another words, a great fat free source of protein, high fiber and a great source of potassium. On a very famous weigh loss plan, 1 cup of pumpkin equals ZERO POINTS. (it's the crust and whip cream that does me in)

Never pick a pumpkin up by the stem. We all feel that this is nature's handle for the pumpkin but I think of it as pulling the pumpkin's hair. OUCH! Actually, it can weaken the stem. When picking a pumpkin, make sure it's firm and heavy for it's size. I've witnessed people knocking on the pumpkins and couldn't resist. I calmly walked over and asked "was anyone home? Did they answer you?" and have gotten the oddest looks. Knocking on a pumpkin does nothing but prove that the pumpkin is solid and not soft. (That would be my best guess) The little round pumpkins or sugar pumpkins make the best pies and are used most for baking. If you want to get adventurous and stew your own pumpkins here's how:

1. Remove the skin from the pumpkin with a potato peeler. (this is best done with a bottle of wine next to you since this will take a while and you may get perched)

2. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes and boil in a pot of water (just covering the pumpkin) for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

3. Allow to cool a little and put in the food processor. You'll need to strain the puree (push thru a strainer) to make sure that the puree is smooth.

NOTE: IT'S EASIER TO BUY PUMPKIN IN A CAN

Pumpkins can be cut up, just like squash, seasoned and baked. Add a little moisture to the pumpkins when baking. I've found small pouches are fun for the kids to open and they like to find out it's pumpkin and not a vegetable. Our secret that it's good for them.

The first year we moved into our house, I thought it would be cool to grow pumpkins. What I didn't realize was that they would send vines all over the yard and the blossoms attract the animals. My husband wasn't happy that he had to cut the grass around the pumpkin patch (that was starting to take over part of our yard) and then had to deal with me covering the tender young pumpkins with netting so the animals didn't harvest them first. Basically, we had a number of vines in our yard with lumps on them that were covered in netting. You could only imagine the jokes that circulated...What or whom was Kathy hiding in her garden? PUMPKINS - that year I got three baby pumpkins that were oddly shaped and realized I should leave growing pumpkins to the professionals.

Share your pumpkin stories with us. Did you have a pumpkin mishap along the way? What's your favorite way to use pumpkin in a recipe? Pumpkin is now being used in the beauty industry but that's for another blog!