Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello

It’s my first year growing veg. Some success and lots of failures - a few I can blame on the awful weather but muddling up my cauliflower and red pepper seeds was definitely down to me. But my pumpkins seem very good. They are in a sheltered sunny spot (Cornwall) against a wall sheltered from the worst of the rain.

I have 6 big pumpkins. I cut one this weekend and made pumpkin soup, which was very bland. Then I made Thai pumpkin soup (threw in chillis, lemon grass and coconut) which was much better. Then I made pumpkin mash with olive oil and black pepper, which was so-so. I threw the remaining ¼ of the pumpkin on my compost heap.

What on earth am I going to do with the other 5? Is the reason why people carve pumpkins for Halloween because the freezer is full of pumpkin soup and there is nothing better to do with them?

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Let them actually ripen.

They need to stay on the plant until the first frost, then to go somewhere dry, cool and sunny for the skins to "cure".

If you do this the flavour and sugar content will improve alot.

Hello Newveggiegrower
I agree with Peter. You are picking them far too early. They need to be left on the plants to mature and then cut and kept outdoors somewhere sunny and warm to 'cure' for several weeks. When the skin is hard to the thumbnail then they are ready for cutting.
You don't say what variety you have. Many varieties have been developed just for showing and carving at Halloween. These will never be much use for cooking. Some other varieties are best used in the kitchen. Try to find your seed packet to see what you've got. Many pumpkin recipes benefit from a little 'pumpkin spice', widely used in the US and you might find it in a deli or health food shop here, otherwise just use any spice you like depending on whether its a sweet or savoury dish.

John

Very grateful for the info - nothing like experience with these things.

My book said harvest from August - and the pumpkin was big and hard and hollow sounding so I thought it must be ready. It's true though, I thought the flesh looked a bit green round the edges!

I have recipes for pumpkin cake/bars etc. The pumpkin can be grated raw and then frozen to be used later. The bars themselves can also be frozen with no adverse effect. If anyone's interested I'll put them in the recipe section.
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Granny

Yes please Granny.

Me too, please.

John

"pumpkin spice" is usually 4 parts cinnamon to two parts nutmeg to one part ginger. can substitute allspice for the nutmeg (or the whole kit and kaboodle) ... i am a huge fan of cardamom + pumpkin.

and pumpkin muffins (take your favorite fruit muffin or bread recipe, substitute pumpkin) are delicious.

but may i humbly suggest you try pumpkin pie before giving up?

Hello Newveggie,
I put them on the wall outside my house with a for sale sign in the couple of weeks running up to Halloween and flog em! I usually sell the lot, the kids round here call me the pumpkin man.
Regards Duncan.

P.S I find people like the home grown types of pumpkin, as they tend to be orange and shiny! A lot of the shop and garden centre ones tend to be the pinky/orange pastel coulored type.

just to add to all the recipes above - that I store mine in a frost free cool light place ( vermin free) and they store for ages - I cut into the final one stored from last years crop in June this year!! The ripening process / skin hardening is important for this.
Also with the big ones I dice into golf ball sized squares ( skin on , seeds removed) and freeze raw without blanching. These cubes can then be taken out in handfuls and I roast them with olive oil and a sprinkle of dried chili - great with all sorts of things .... As a result I have cut down on the quantity of spuds I grow as the pumpkin seems more popular !!!

alia wrote:"pumpkin spice" is usually 4 parts cinnamon to two parts nutmeg to one part ginger. can substitute allspice for the nutmeg (or the whole kit and kaboodle) ... i am a huge fan of cardamom + pumpkin.

and pumpkin muffins (take your favorite fruit muffin or bread recipe, substitute pumpkin) are delicious.

but may i humbly suggest you try pumpkin pie before giving up?

I heartily agree

Pumpkin pie is just delicious

I use recipes on this site www.joyofbaking.com