Don’t let your carved pumpkin go to waste! You can actually cook it up and use it for your Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies. This is what my mom did when I was growing up and it makes even more sense since the pumpkins were so expensive this year (did anyone else notice?) My favorite part of the idea of being self reliant is you don’t waste anything. This recipe is DELICIOUS (I have pictures to prove it…including a picture of me when I was 3 having taken a bite and sometimes half the pie out of all 13 pies my mom had made…uh….we have large Thanksgiving dinners, if you couldn’t tell 😉 Here are the directions, straight from my mom…
Cooking your Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin:
Wash and cut up Jack-O-Lanterns into 4-5 inch square pieces. Pressure cook in 1 C. water for 10-12 minutes. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, see the NOTE:)You will not need to add any more water with the next batches since they seem to “grow”water. Drain, scoop out of peeling, and blend in blender until smooth. (I freeze in 7 C. packages which make 2 pies.) This pumpkin is wetter than canned pumpkin it needs to have liquids cut down in regular pumpkin recipes. (I use extra pumpkin in place of the liquid called for.) Or it can be used in exact measurements with any apple sauce recipe.
NOTE: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simmer in covered pan for 30-45 minutes or until soft and tender.
Jack-O-Lantern Pie
3 1/2 C. Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cloves
3 eggs (or 3 T. dry egg powder + 1/3 c. water)
1 C. dry non-instant milk
1 9-10 inch pie shell with edges crimped high-filling is generous
Thoroughly combine all of the above. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 for 50 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out clean. Cool.
Want to learn more about the specifics of an electric pressure cooker? Click HERE.
Question: Are you able to use White Pumpkins in this recipe?
Most pumpkin and winter squash are interchangeable. You should be able to use white pumpkins. 🙂
I like your story about the 13 pumpkin pies. With my 5 kids, it was a long time before we got through a birthday without one of them taking a handful out of everyones birthday cake before it could be served! I've got pictures of that too!! Kids…. 🙂
If you bake the pumpkin instead of boiling it, you don't get the watery puree. Then you can use it just like the canned pumpkin in your recipes. I bake all my pie pumpkins and have never had a problem with it. And it is a lot easier to scrape the cooked pumpkin off the shell this way, too, because the shell doesnt get soft from the water!
I've been using winter squash in place of pumpking for years! I actually have a number of pumpkins that didn't get carved (laziness) that I will be cooking today. I agree that baking is easiest. The squash doesn't get as water logged and you can load up a couple of cookie sheet with bigger pieces. This fall I have started to microwave smaller batches with great results. It is amazing how far one banana squash or pumpkin can go!
I always broil my squash/pumpkin. I wonder if there is any difference? Put pieces face down as best you can, then broil until very fork-tender. Maybe with baking you don't have to worry about putting them face down – that just might be to help prevent the flesh getting burned by the broiling element. ???
At any rate, glad to have a recipe for this! Can't wait to try it out.
Thanks for the recipe. Its amazing that there isn't more of these articles at this time of year. I'm wondering if the large pumpkins people use for carving have an inferior taste to smaller “cooking” pumpkin?
I'm off right now to go boil by jack-o-lantern.
Hi I am new at the food storage thing. I was wondering if your sight gave ideas of what to buy for your food storage each week or if you new of one. I have been searching and have had no luck. I am wanting to slowly build up, and I would like to have some motivation/someone to tell me what to buy.. For instance this week _number of oil and so on. I would appreciate your thoughts.Thank you Amber
I was just about to toss all the jack-o-lanterns until I read this post. You inspired me to spend my afternoon cooking and pureeing pumpkin to freeze. My husband came home for lunch when I was in the middle of this process and wondered why I was going to all the trouble. “Don't you know that even the expert chefs say canned pumpkin works best for pies?” he asked. “This is too watery,” he said as he pointed to my puree, “It won't make a very good pie.” Armed with your recipe, I accepted his challenge. The pie turned out great–my husband loved it and had to eat his words. I loved that it called for a whole cup of dry milk powder and no extra liquid–what a great idea.
I hope you made the pie with new pumpkins. If you carved your jack-o-lanterns then let them sit out for any amount of time, they are no longer viable for use in pies. After about six hours, the pumpkin begins to rot and gather bacteria (even if you cant see it, it’s there and very unhealthy).
I hope you made the pie with new pumpkins. If you carved your jack-o-lanterns then let them sit out for any amount of time, they are no longer viable for use in pies. After about six hours, the pumpkin begins to rot and gather bacteria (even if you cant see it, it’s there and very unhealthy).
How long would you bake the pumpkin and then would you puree it with any water? Is my jack-o-lantern still okay to use if it's been outside for 5 days?
just found this site because i was wondering the same thing as Chels.. how many days is it okay to leave the jack o lanterns out before you have to cut it up and cook it? i’ll have mine out for three days, and i would like to use the pumpkins for my thankgiving pies… is it okay to freeze in ziploc bags for a month after the puree is made?? hope you are still checking this page and can get back to me soon! halloween is in two days!!! 🙂
yes, yes, and yes. As long as your pumpkin is free of mold or other obvious bad signs-you can puree it up and yes, it will last in your freezer until thanksgiving!
FANTASTIC!! thank you!!!
FANTASTIC!! thank you!!!
yes, yes, and yes. As long as your pumpkin is free of mold or other obvious bad signs-you can puree it up and yes, it will last in your freezer until thanksgiving!
I would love to see your pictures…. Come on, show us you at 3 🙂
Cooking with a pressure cooker really does make cooking faster. I do not know what I did without it. I like your recipe very much and this is the right time of the year for it. Thanks.
Cooking with a pressure cooker really does make cooking faster. I do not know what I did without it. I like your recipe very much and this is the right time of the year for it. Thanks.
I am wondering if you can use pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices. I don’t have all those spices now and how much would I use instead?
I am wondering if you can use pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices. I don’t have all those spices now and how much would I use instead?
Can I use a dry cup of instant milk instead? Also I baked my pumpkin on a slotted roasting rack so that the excess liquid would run off so maybe I don’t need the dry milk???