How to Process Fresh Pumpkin

Cook a pumpkin in the oven to soften it for processing.

Although many people consider it to be a vegetable, pumpkin is actually a fruit. While canned pumpkin is a common item in the pantry, a fresh pumpkin can be processed, with the flesh used to bake pie or cook soup. Pumpkins used for cooking should be harvested before the first hard frost. When pumpkins are ripe and ready for picking, the vines and leaves die and the shell hardens, turning from yellow to bright orange. Does this Spark an idea?

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Baking sheet
Foil
Spoon
Knife
Food processor

Instructions

- 1
  
  Choose a 3- to 5-lb. pumpkin with a firm rind that is free of bruising and gouges. Apply light pressure with your fingernail to test. If your nail leaves a mark, the pumpkin isn't ready for cooking.
- 2
  
  Place the intact pumpkin on a foil-covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes, rotating the baking sheet periodically. Remove from the oven and cool.
- 3
  
  Use a knife to cut the top from the pumpkin.Then clean the inside, using a spoon to remove the seeds and pulp. Use a small knife to peel the pumpkin, then slice it into small cubes.
- 4
  
  Place the cubes in a food processor and mix until smooth, or use a potato masher to mix by hand. Use the pumpkin to make pies or soups. Refrigerate the pumpkin in an airtight container for up to three days if you do not plan to cook with it right away.