..but not a bite to eat. With the beginning of October, the grocery stores in my area seem to be overflowing with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. However, I'm a bit confused by the numerous pumpkins that are not recommended for eating. The small pumpkins in a large display by the store entrance are marked "for display only, do not eat!" and the pumpkins in the produce section are covered with stickers that read "great for painting!" Am I the only one who heads to the produce department looking for things to eat? So, stubborn as I am, I've become set on turning these decorative objects into food -- and hopefully something more interesting than the pie that everyone seems to be so set on this time of year.Scouring my selection of cookbooks, I found little of interest aside from pie and bread. Of course, pumpkin could be put in place of squash in any recipe, but why so few unique pumpkin recipes? At any rate, here are a few simple and non-pie uses of the pumpkin you may find yourself burdened with this October (and beyond!).- Even if you're making a jack-o-lantern, you can snag the seeds, rinse them, and roast them on an oiled cookie sheet at around 250F for an hour (salt if you'd like, don't if you'd rather not), stirring occasionally. (If you'd like, turn up the heat for the last 5 minutes of the cook time in order to get a nice golden brown.)
- If you've got a pie-sized pumpkin but no desire to make a pie, you can cut it into cubes and bake it (until soft) with butter and maple syrup.
- Pumpkin bread is a quick-bread, meaning you needn't need nor give it time to rise (read: easy to bake). Simply Recipes has a recipe for a spiced pumpkin bread that was transcribed from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook and is certainly a good one.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-08-2006 @ 10:14AM
ZenKimchi said...
You know, pumpkin (hobak) is used a lot in Korean cuisine. I've usually had it steamed or stewed as a side dish.
Also, 'hobak' is used as an insult to say a woman is ugly.
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10-08-2006 @ 11:57AM
A said...
The reason these pumpkins are marked "not for consumption" is due to the fact that they are bioengineered...using chemicals, and dyes, NOT meant for us to eat because they may harm us if eaten. Remember back when the corn crop meant for decorative purposes (sprayed with chemical preservatives) accidentally was processed at a plant for food? Don't eat!!!
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10-08-2006 @ 11:58AM
Angela Pitt said...
It's the "Great Pumpkin Patch" Charlie Brown!
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10-08-2006 @ 12:35PM
rainey said...
Generally speaking the smaller pumpkins have thicker, sweeter flesh and are excellent for eating. If the grower puts a sticker on them saying that they are NOT to be consumed I'd pay attention.
They don't want to limit their markets. They want to expand them, so I'm inclined to think they would only put that warning on for a reason. Like using "gray" water (second use, not certifiably potable) or sludge-based soil enhancements. Better to go looking for ones without stickers or with stickers that say something like "pie" pumpkins.
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10-08-2006 @ 1:32PM
Sharon Elano said...
I agree with #2!! DO NOT EAT ANY PUMPKINS marked 'for decoration only'. Chances are these pumpkins were harvested last year, and kept 'fresh' with chemicals, waxes, and even artificial coloring! The only pumpkins fit for human consumption are the fresh ones you see being sold at roadside stands or at farms, etc.
On a similar note, My Uncle used to harvest his apple crop up to three years in advance, and they were stored in cold storage in the dark before they ripened. Once he was ready to sell them to market (or when the prices of apples went up!) he would adjust the temperature and lighting conditions, and the apples would ripen accordingly. He never used sprays or waxes on his crops, but lots of his neighboring farmers DID. So make sure you WASH your apples with soap and water to remove all traces of chemicals, etc.
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10-08-2006 @ 2:19PM
Gianna said...
The punkins found at grocery stores are NOT for eating if they say they're not. It's not there to annoy you, its there because if they didn't put the sitckers on, half of america would have some disease like E. coli or something. In short, DONT EAT THE PUMPKINS MARKED "DO NOT EAT"
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10-08-2006 @ 3:47PM
moonablaze said...
if you do find safe-to-eat punkins, here are a TON of recipes:
http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/inxpum.html
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