It’s my favorite time of the year, Halloween! I love the spooky skeleton and spider web decorations that are awaiting trick or treaters all over the neighborhood. And what would Halloween be without the jack-o-lantern?!
But after you have carved and displayed your pumpkin, what are you supposed to do with it?
You can eat it! You will want to use a fresh Jack-O-Lantern that was just carved a few hours before and refrigerate it overnight.
Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree is very versatile and can be used many recipes from pancakes, to pastas to pies! You can also freeze the puree to use at a later date.
To make pumpkin puree:
- Clean your pumpkin with a wet cloth
- Slice your pumpkin into wedges from top to bottom (discard the parts where the cut out design was)
3.Rub the cut surfaces with oil. Place them, skin side up, in a roasting pan and add 1 cup of water to the pan. Roast at 375 degrees, for 45-60 minutes.
- Once tender, remove from oven and place on a surface to cool. Once cooled, scoop out the pumpkin flesh.
- Puree the pumpkin in a food processor or blender.
- Use a colander with paper towels to drain the excess water, let it sit for about two hours.
Check out Kaidy’s blog post on Pumpkin Sage Pasta to use the puree!
You can also roast the pumpkin seeds:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- Clean and dry the seeds.
- Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.
Source: Goodhousekeeping.com