Autumn is officially pumpkin’s time. But I like have them in my house and especially in my kitchen over the winter, too. We are buying them for decorations and every conceivable food is flavored with pumpkin spice regardless of whether it is a good idea or not. Pumpkin Spice salsa? Pumpkin spice Jello anyone?
But let’s get away from the spice and focus on the actual pumpkin itself.

My Top Pumpkin Tips And Tricks

We tend to have pumpkins sitting around at this time of year. Sometimes my curiosity and experimental “tendencies” get the better of me. So I have to figure out what do with that leftover pumpkin or oddly-shaped Turban squash that looked so great as a table decoration at my last dinner party.
I have taken the trouble to split open a Halloween pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and strings, cut into slices and make my own pumpkin pie filling. Let me give you the benefit of my experience and tell you that it is not worth the trouble or extreme mess.

The pumpkin is a very hard-shelled individual, which is why they last so long. So the big question is how to get inside it.

First I tried to cut it open with a large kitchen knife. Nope the shell is way too hard.

Next I got out my big bad cleaver and whacked that sucker. Oops! now the cleaver was deeply stuck and took me a good while to get unstuck, okay you beast we are taking it outside!
I washed off our wood chopping axe and gave it a whallop that worked, by this time I was sweating.

Next, I spread out newspapers on the kitchen floor and proceeded to gut the thing, creating a goopy slimy mess. You get the idea….

Fortunately, for us Butternut squash, Kabocha squash and other smaller varieties are more manageable and can also be purchased in ready to cook cubes.

Be aware that gourds and small decorative pumpkins are not meant for eating. Recently I read that you can cook a whole squash in the oven and when it is soft you can easily cut into it and scoop out the flesh. Haven’t tried that yet, but it sounds like a great idea.

Eat Seasonably, Eat Healthy!

Pumpkin is a winter squash meaning it is one of the varieties that ripens in Fall, has a hard shell, and stores well over winter. I have thought for a long time that following Mother Nature’s seasonal menu offerings makes good nutritional sense.

1. Eating what is in season naturally provides nutrition we need for that time of year. During the cold months when winter squash, root vegetables like parsnips, beets, and rutabagas, and meats are in good supply these foods can fuel our bodies.

2. Their natural sugars and calories give us the energy to keep us warm. Â

3. Squash provides beta carotene, potassium, plenty of B vitamins, protein and fiber.

4. Seasonal eating also gives us the opportunity to eat more locally, meaning that we consume what is in season in our location rather than eating out of season food that comes to us from another side of the planet.

Anyway there are lots of delicious recipes for winter squash and pumpkins that don’t involve pumpkin spice, many of them from Asia and Italy. So feel free to use recipes from the other side of the planet for foods that are in season at home today.

I hope that these pumpkin tips and tricks inspire your winter menu. So, try Petra’s delicious Pumpkin Spice Drink and stay tuned for our exquisite Vegan Thai Pumpkin Curry recipe, soon to be released. I’ve told you, we really love pumpkin!

SparkYourBloom Today And Everyday!