PROCESS, EAT & DRINK YOUR PUMPKIN!

how to...

Did you know that if you grow pumpkins, you can also eat the leaves & male flowers? (Female flowers are edible but leave them to set fruit & make pumpkins.)

first...

Female pumpkin flowers have an ovary (looks like a miniature fruit) at the base of the flower; male flowers don’t. Usually, the first ~8 flowers on the plant are male, then female flowers show up.

Now, ready to turn a mature pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) into food? It’s easy! Here are the steps...

Cut open and remove the seeds. Yes, pumpkin seeds (both hulled and hulless) are edible. Hulled seeds (aka “pepitos”) are great eaten raw, but hulled seeds should be cooked before eating. (See seed recipe at end!)

Step 1.

Cut your pumpkin into chunks, then place them on a cookie sheet, skin-side-up, in a preheated 350°F (176°C) oven.

Step 2.

Bake until a fork can be easily pushed through the biggest chunk. Each pumpkin variety is different, but plan for at least a 30 minute bake time.

Step 3.

Remove fully cooked pumpkin from the oven and let cool. Remove skin.

Step 4.

Puree cooled pumpkin flesh until silky smooth in a food processor.

Step 5.

Refrigerate or freeze puree until ready to use — or start baking now! 

Step 6.

Alternatively, you can use raw, uncooked pumpkins to make fermented beverages like pumpkin champagne…

Read on to see some of our favorite pumpkin recipes!

Mom's Pumpkin chili w/ turkey & black beans

Fall harvest pumpkin apple coffee cake with strudel

Pumpkin Champagne (yes, that's correct & it's good!)

Hopefully now you can confidently use all those fall pumpkins you binge-bought to decorate your front porch with!  (Or was that just us?)