Pumpkins!

There’s only one thing to do with a pumpkin in July – cook it! It’s very easy. Here’s how:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Wash your pumpkin

3. Cut it in half

4. Scoop out all of the seeds with a spoon (save for roasted pumpkin seeds later)

5. Put the halves face down on a large baking dish and cover with 1/4 inch of water

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the skin can easily be pierced with a fork

7. Scoop out the flesh and discard the skin

That’s it! Now you have fresh pumpkin to use in your pies, breads, scones, cookies, or whatever you’d like. You can  use it the same as you would canned pumpkin (it can be tough to find a recipe that calls for fresh pumpkin). A lot of people will throw the flesh in a food processor for a few minutes to get a nice, creamy consistency.  I just mixed it up with a fork.   When you’re finished, you can store it in the refrigerator for a few days, or you can freeze it indefinitely.

Last fall, I made a couple of pies with a pumpkin we grew, and they were the best I’ve ever had.  I used this recipe if you’re interested.  Enjoy!