Roast Pumpkin Recipe

The holidays are upon us and that means...PUMPKIN PIE. And also, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin sauce, pretty much all things pumpkin. And while pumpkins make excellent decorations, they make even better food. That's right, you can actually eat those pumpkins you put out on your porch! (And so can your dogs! Pumpkin is a wonderful food to feed your dog to keep their digestive health regular. Ask your vet though just to be safe!)

Now I know what you're thinking, “why cook and eat pumpkins when I could just use canned pumpkin? It's easier and way more convenient!”  Well, that’s true but there are some things about canned pumpkin you may not know.

1. Canned pumpkin.. isn’t actually pumpkin! If you read the back of the can, you will be surprised to read that it is in fact a blend of squash and pumpkin. But, this can be confusing since pumpkin can always be squash but squash can’t always be pumpkin. This seems like an oxymoron, but pumpkins have a rigorous standard to be held to, to in fact be pumpkins. But that’s ok. Most of the time, a blend of different autumn squashes produces the tastiest flavor.
2. The less processed something is (i.e. Canned) the better it is for you. So buying food in its whole form, and cooking it yourself is absolutely the best option when it comes to your health.

Ok we have talked about why and now we must address the how.

How do I cook my pumpkins?

Cooking pumpkins is very easy. It takes zero skill, beyond cutting and scooping. Simply cutting a pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, and laying it on a parchment lined baking sheet is all it takes to have your very own, delicious and nutritious pumpkin for a plethora of recipes. Once your pumpkin is fork tender, remove from the oven and let it cool. From there you can use a food processor or blender to puree the pumpkin.

How to store pureed pumpkin?

In there whole, uncooked form, pumpkins can last for three months to a year! This is excellent news for us people who like to use pumpkins for decorations because that means we can actually use those little orange gems off of our porch for food and we don’t have to waste them in the garbage. Ok but what about cooked pumpkin? In the fridge, pumpkin will last for about 4-5 days, but in the freezer, cooked pumpkin can last 9-14 months!!!! WHAT?!?! That’s, right, cooked pumpkin can last over a year! Amazing!

Ok, now for the seeds!

You may discard the pumpkin seeds, but why?! What I do is either save the seeds to be planted in my garden, or cook them in the oven along side my pumpkin. Cooked pumpkin seeds are a healthy and delicious snack, also referred to as pepitas. You do not need to remove the outer shell of the pumpkin seed (unless you want to) so you can just bake and enjoy! Pepitas are great in salads, trail mix, atop breads or muffins, or simply eaten by themselves.  

📖 Recipe