Everything you always wanted to know about
Pumpkin (but were afraid to ask)
HOW TO COOK PUMPKIN
(Smaller pumpkins are best for eating - the giant ones tend to be
watery and are better for making into faces for Halloween.)
Split the pumpkin in half and remove seeds and strings.
Place halves, cut side down, on cookie sheet or in jellyroll pan and bake at 325 degrees
for 1 hour or until pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork. Scrape pumpkin from the shell
and force it through a fine sieve or strainer. Easier of course, is to put the pumpkin in
container of electric food processor or blender and process or blend smooth. Use as you
would canned pumpkin; or start with canned pumpkin if cooking the fresh kind is too much
of a chore.
PUMPKIN STUFF!!
-The best eating pumpkins are about 10 to 12-inches in diameter and
brightly colored.
-A 4 pound fruit yields 2 pounds of meat and 6 ounces of seeds.
-One pound of raw, peeled pumpkin equals about 4 cups raw chunked or lightly packed grated
pumpkin.
-One pound of raw, peeled pumpkin equals about 2 cups cooked, pureed, drained pulp.
-A fresh pumpkin keeps up to 1 year in a dry, cool place with a temperature above 50
degrees.
-Fresh pumpkin can be baked or boiled to use in recipes.
-Leftovers can be frozen for up to six months.
How to grow a good BIG pumpkin
You will find that this will produce very nice pumpkins that have an
extra special taste to be secured in the use of your kitchen. In order to make an
extremely good pumpkin pie, you must first have a good tasting BIG PUMPKIN. Following is a
recipe for growing big pumpkins:
>First, choose a good piece of fertile ground so as to supply the pumpkin with plenty
of nutrients. When using pumpkin seeds, make sure to follow the directions on the package
in regard to your planting season.
>Second, when planting time arrives, determine the amount of pumpkins you wish to
harvest and plant approximately 6 seeds to a hill. Place the hills two or three feet apart
(rows not necessary).
>Third, once the pumpkins have started growing, secure a 55 gallon drum and place in a
convenient location in the vicinity of your pumpkin patch. Once the drum is in place, fill
it 1/2 full of cow manure (preferably fresh) and fill the remainder with water.
>Fourth, let this barrel of "sweet water" set for 1 week and stir daily.
After the week is up, take a hoe and dig a 3-inch hole beside each hill of pumpkin plants.
Take a jar or ladle and water each hill daily until time for harvest.
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