Thanksgiving Pumpkins

Pumpkins are not just for Halloween–what’s Thanksgiving without good old homemade PUMPKIN PIE?

Last year when we put homemade pumpkin pies in the The last Special Box, our friend Eric said we spoiled him and his family–they can never eat pumpkin pie made from canned filling again!

Pumpkin pie is so easy to make! The Farmer’s Wife recipe is posted at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com , Recipes, #64. Like all pumpkin pie recipes it starts with pumpkin purée.

Pumpkin purée can be made in several ways. When I’m making multiple pies I use a large pumpkin cut into large chunks and placed on the stovetop in a soup stock pan with a lid. Add a couple inches of water and steam until tender. Once cooled enough to handle, I cut the pumpkin flesh off the skin. Pumpkin is easily puréed in a large mixing bowl.

Only want one pie? Pick up a sugar pumpkin at Bee Healthy on Monday. Cook the pumpkin as above on the stovetop, or simply cut the top off and scoop out the seeds, cook whole in the oven. (350 degrees til tender to the touch.) You can also cut into pieces and cook all day in the crockpot.

Ingredients needed are sugar and/or molasses, eggs, couple tablespoons of flour, milk or half & half or cream, and wonderful seasonings: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove…sometimes allspice. Not comfortable making crust? Buy a frozen one…not as tasty, but the filling is the star of the show! Do the puree the day before— 🙂

Pumpkin purée is also good in pumpkin bread, pumpkin cakes, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting. It can be frozen or canned for later use. (Pressure canned–not hot water bath.)

My family LOVES pumpkin pie! Not just for Thanksgiving, but also Christmas and in the dead of winter! Either with a scoop of ice cream or cooled with fresh whipped cream—hmmmm….

The Farmer’s Wife

%d bloggers like this: