I don’t know why pumpkin pie is relegated to only shine at Thanksgiving. I could eat it every day of the year. ESPECIALLY when it’s made with real pumpkin. This is a pumpkin pie recipe that’s truly made from scratch.
Jump to Recipe
You can cook pumpkin pie made with real pumpkin. Yes. Sugar pumpkins to be precise. That realization knocked me right on my ass about a decade ago.
Before my pumpkin revelation it never occurred to me to do anything other than open up a can of pumpkin when it came time to make a pie. I mean that’s what you do. You go to the store, buy a can, open it and let the blob of pumpkin slip out.
It just never occurred to me for some reason that you could make pumpkin pie by cooking a fresh pumpkin. Until one day I saw a sign. It said: Pie Pumpkins. I’d seen them before of course, but this time it actually clicked – Omgthesepumpkinsareformakingpumpkinpie.
Pie Pumpkins.
Holy crap! I bought a pumpkin. I made a pie. I did it again and again, then proceeded to tell EVERYONE that this was a thing you could do. And it isn’t even much harder than opening a can of pie filling. You just have to bake a pumpkin.
Pie pumpkins are smaller and sweeter than regular old pumpkins which makes them perfect for whipping into a pie. You just need to turn them into pumpkin puree.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Puree?
First things first … like I said, you need a pie pumpkin. These are the smaller pumpkins you see around. About the size of a small head. Like a toddler’s head for instance.
- Your first job is to crack off the stem and then cut the pumpkin in half.
Inside it’ll look just like a squash or a Halloween pumpkin does when you split it in half.
Scoop out all of the guts and fibres … then place face down on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes – 1 hr.
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, save the pumpkin seeds for roasting.
*If the wall of your pie pumpkin is thin you might need 2 of them. If it’s thick it should be enough for a pie*
The pumpkins are done when they’re easily pierced with a fork.
When they’ve cooled a bit, flip the pumpkins over and grab a spoon. Scrape the flesh out of the pumpkins and put it into a bowl.
One small pumpkin will yield around 3 cups. Plenty for one pie. Puree your pumpkin either in a traditional blender or with a hand blender.
Blend it until it has a very smooth consistency. Put the pumpkin puree into a swath of cheesecloth and let it drain.
About a cup of liquid will drain out of a 2.5 pumpkin, leaving you with around 2 cups of pumpkin.
Now you have cooked, strained pumpkin just like they sell in cans. YOU are fantastic. You did it.
What kind of pumpkin is used for pumpkin pie?
Like I mentioned, there are literally pumpkins named pie pumpkins. So obviously those are good for making pumpkin pie. BUT they aren’t the only ones that make a good pie.
In general any pumpkin that’s meant for eating can be made into pie. Some may be more dry and some more liquidey. Some may be sweeter than others. But once you drain the liquid from the cooked pumpkin and add the rest of the pie ingredients you shouldn’t notice any big difference between a pie made with pie pumpkins or any other pumpkin.
Also – YOU CAN USE SQUASH.
A pumpkin is a type of squash.
A few years ago there was a worldwide Facebook-shared panic that somehow squash was making its way into canned pumpkin. People were completely out of their minds over the thought of this.
Calm down. They’re the same thing. And some squash are so sweet (Delicata for instance) that they make better tasting pumpkin pies anyway.
So when pie pumpkins aren’t in season and you hanker for pumpkin pie, just grab a squash for the job. Incidentally, if a can of pumpkin puree contains “squash” it’ll say so. You shouldn’t care if it does.
Pumpkin Pie Making Tips
- Use a sweet squash if you can’t find pie pumpkins (kabocha, delicata, buttercup)
- In a rush? Use a store bought crust. They’re actually pretty good.
- Yes you can freeze pumpkin pie! So go ahead and make it in advance if you want.
- If your crust is browning too much, cover it with a pie crust shield (or just some tin foil)
- Store it in the refrigerator. It’s a custard base so it needs to be kept in the fridge, not out on the counter at room temperature.
I haven’t given you a recipe for pie dough because most people have their own dough recipe that they use, but I do want to remind you to blind bake the crust.
I’m using my biggest, deepest, Pyrex pie dish here but my favourite pie plates are dark, old aluminum ones. They get a superior crust.
How To Blind Bake
- Line unbaked pie with parchment paper, then fill with beans, dried peas, lentils or actual pie weights.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- Remove parchment and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes.
How much pumpkin is in pumpkin pie?
2 cups
1 small pie pumpkin will produce 3 cups of undrained pumpkin, and 2.5 cups of pumpkin puree.
So you need 1 pie pumpkin per pie. But to be honest I always buy and cook 2 *just* in case. You can freeze any extra puree to use later.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Top with Maple Syrup Whipped Cream and enjoy!
PUMPKIN PIE MADE WITH ... GASP ... PUMPKINS!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsps. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. cloves You can also substitute with allspice
- 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 pie crust
Pumpkin Puree
- 1 pie pumpkin 2.5 lbs
Instructions
Pumpkin Puree
- Cut pie pumpkin in half and scoop out the guts. Cook face down on a greased baking sheet until fork tender. 30-45 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and puree with an immersion blender.
- Strain the puree through cheesecloth. Around 1 cup of liquid should come out over a few hours.
- You now have pumpkin puree!
Pumpkin Pie Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Add sugar, salt, spices and lemon zest to bowl and mix.
- Beat the eggs very well and add them to the bowl of mixed ingredients.
- Mix in YOUR HOMEMADE pumpkin puree and evaporated milk and combine well.
- Roll out pie crust and put in pie plate.
- Blind bake your pie crust. To blind bake: line your pie crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. Remove parchment paper and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove blind baked crust from the oven and fill it with the pumpkin mixture.
- Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 F and bake an additional 40-50 minutes. If the crust starts to darken, cover it with tin foil for the remainder of the bake.
- The pie is done when the centre reaches a temperature of 175 F. A knife should come out *almost* clean. Just a speck or two of filling on it.
- Let it cool and set up on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use a sweet squash if you can't find pie pumpkins (kabocha, delicata, buttercup)
- In a rush? Use a store bought crust. They're actually pretty good.
- Yes you can freeze pumpkin pie! So go ahead and make it in advance if you want.
- Pour your filling into the prebaked pie shell on the counter until almost full. Then put the pie in your oven and pour the rest of the filling in. This lets you get the pie as full as possible without the chance of spilling.
- If your crust is browning too much, cover it with a pie crust shield (or just some tin foil)
- Store your pumpkin pie in the refrigerator. It's a custard base so it needs to be kept in the fridge, not out on the counter.
- Use a Pyrex pie plate. It might not look as good as a vintage metal one, but they work better. You'll get a better crust with Pyrex.
Nutrition
Tools For Successful Pie Making
Anchor Hocking 9.5-Inch Deep Pie Plate
This is going to get you an evenly cooked and golden pie crust. I FOUGHT using a glass pie plate for years because I don't like how they look. I finally gave in and started using one and my pies changed completely.
Whipped Cream Dispenser
I have a Whip It Whipped Cream dispenser and it's always worked great for me but it doesn't get good reviews on Amazon. So I've chosen t his one for you based on its reviews and price. It whips 1/2 litre of heavy cream.
Unbleached Cheesecloth
I swear I can never find cheesecloth in the grocery store. It's like it's a game to see how well the store can hide it. (I also line my turkey with cheesecloth before stuffing it so you don't get guck on the stuffing. Plus to remove the stuffing you just pull out the bag of cheesecloth!)
Oster Hand Blender
My immersion blender is so old they don't sell it anymore but this one is as close to mine as I could find.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Actually, if you put the baked pumpkin halves in the refrigerator and let them get cold, you can forget the spoon and just peal the pumpkin skins right off. Easy as pie! Takes far less time and it’s far less messy to peal than to scoop with a spoon.
Thanks for your response! I have a pie pumpkin sitting on my counter. I thought it might not last very much longer. So I wanted to roast it now and use later!
That’s what I figured. :) Depending on where you are in the world you can keep it outside and it’ll last for a week or two. You need to keep it cool (50 degrees or less). ~ karen!
Ok, I am going to do this, but wondered if you can make the pumpkin a couple of weeks ahead? Can you freeze it or refrigerate it for that long?
Hi Terri – You definitely can’t refrigerate it for a couple of weeks, but you may be able to freeze it. The one thing I think could go wrong is it’ll become more watery, so you’ll have to drain it again. Is there a reason you want to do it 2 weeks in advance? ~ karen!
An alternate method for getting the pumpkin meat ready for the pie is to cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, cut the halves into manageable sections, pare off the rind, and cut the strips into chunks about a couple of inches square. Steam the chunks over, but not in, boiling water for about 15 – 20 minutes. The pumpkin will then be soft enough to mash with a potato masher. This may sound complicated but it actually takes a lot less time (and uses less energy) than baking the pumpkin in the oven and deals with the problem of too much moisture.
When we had a pumpkin patch on our own country property when our sons were growing up, I could harvest, prepare and package in one day, enough 2 cup tubs of pumpkin to freeze to make 26 pies – one every other week until pumpkin season rolled round again.
Talk about family favourite! – and the recipe I used was almost identical to the one shown here.
Hi Meg – Forgive me, but how is that easier than cutting it in half and putting it in the oven? ~ karen
Haha agreed! And there is a tremendous amount of water then and it’s not as sweet.
Hi all,
I don’t even bother cutting in half! I cut a hole in the top where the stem is like I do with Jack o’lanterns (but much smaller since I don’t want to waste any pumpkin), then I put it on a tray and bake it, seeds and all for one and half hours at 400 degrees F. When done, I sliced it down the middle. It’s so much easier to cut a cooked pumpkin, clean out the seeds, and usually the skin peels away easily. Scrape and purée in food processor.
This was THE best pumpkin pie I’ve ever made and tasted. Made 2 for thanksgiving and they were a HUGE success. Thanks for the recipe and never again will I buy canned pumpkin!
Okay, this post (like many others I must say) has inspired me! Yesterday while shopping I came across Pie Pumpkins and though…..”Why the hell not? Karen has enlightened me!”…..:D THE pie is in the oven as we speak and the house is abuzz with excitement as we can’t wait to try a ‘real pumpkin’ pumpkin pie! Thanks!!
That’s exciting on a whole variety of levels! Hope it turns out well. Happy thanksgiving! ~ karen
Karen…..my ‘real pumpkin’ pumpkin pie….WAS….AN….EPIC….SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!! from this moment on, it will be the only version of pumpkin pie I make! :) Thanks!
Yesssssss! Glad it was a hit for you! Kay. I have to finish cleaning the kitchen. On hour 14 now. ~ karen!
I cook my pie pumpkins in the microwave….simply pierce all over with a skewer….zap on high approx 10 min on a paper towel…when cool…skin pops off and scoop out seeds…mash ‘meat’. Simple. :)
Hi Lynne – That’s a great idea! For most things, like soup or side dishes I’d prefer the taste of a roasted pumpkin, but for pie, the microwaved version would be great. ~ karen!
Thank you so much for the great recipe and detailed information! This is great! I am making the real pumpkin pie for this Thanksgiving and cannot wait to use your recipe! :D
Excellent! It’ll be good. I’m Canadian so our Thanksgiving is long gone. Have a piece for me. ~ karen!
Thank you for this. Compliments galore and I actually dreamed about pie last night. In my dream I pulled out a second pie. Oh, the happiness radiated from that pie. It was visible. An orange glow of goodness and thankfulness.
Thanks lady, I’ll never use canned again.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious! Unfortunately my pie pumpkin was a tad too small (yielding only 1 cup) so for the other cup I used an acorn squash. It still turned out delicious. This is now my go to pumpkin pie recipe!!
Excellent! Sigh. I wish I had pumpkin pie right now. ~ karen!
I have made pumpkin pie from scratch the last couple years (definitely worth it) Although, the recipe I follow from a friend has us cut the pumpkin up, cut off the skin, cube it, boil it and then puree it. Your way of baking the pumpkin seems so much easier. I have 4 small pumpkins this year- I might use 2 my old fashioned way and 2 your way :) Am I crazy? Have you ever heard of anyone cutting up the pumpkin and boiling it? I wonder if there is any difference.
Hi Lauren – I have heard of other people doing that but I prefer my way for 2 reasons. Things that are roasted always have better depth of flavour, and the pumpkin loses moisture (which in this case is good) as opposed to gaining moisture from the boiling. ~ karen!
Thanks for the info. I made my pies today and your way was extremely easier! I was going to use 2 pumpkins my old way but after seeing how easy the first 2 were your way, I did them all like that :D Happy Thanksgiving!
Excellent! I’m happy you’re pies turned out well Lauren. I’m Canadian so my Thanksgiving was actually over and done with a month ago … but happy Thanksgiving to you! ~ karen
Thank you so much for this recipe! Being an Australian, I was introduced to pumpkin pie by an American friend of mine who celebrates Thanksgiving…and instantly fell in love at first bite! However, given that my friend’s ‘secret’ ingredient was canned pumpkin (which is imported and RIDICULOUSLY expensive over here), it became a dish that I could only have once a year :( But, thanks to this recipe, I can have it whenever I like! Hooray!
Hurray! :) ~ karen
Karen, hi!
I just made this pie and the crust came out all raw at the bottom. Did you blind bake? ´cause judging from your pictures it doesn´t seem like you did.
I´m probably gonna try blind baking next time because I have a lot of pumpking puree leftover. Delish, by the way…thank you so much.
Oh, and for how long do you think I can store it in the fridge before it goes bad?
Thanks again Karen, love your blog!
Hi Heidi! Oh for the love of the Lord, I can’t remember if I blind baked it or not. I always do so I may not have mentioned it in the post. eep. Also … the pie pan you use can make a huge difference. Nothing gets a better crust than a Pyrex/glass pie plate. The puree won’t last more than a couple of days in the fridge uncooked. I froze some this year out of curiosity to see if it freezes well. I’m guessing no, but it’s an experimental option. ~ karen!
Love this! I’ve been in love with pumpkin lately and debating about the merits of making my own pumpkin puree. Do you know if you can freeze it if you make a bunch of it so you have it on hand if a pumpkin craving strikes in say February?
Hi Jenna – Yes. You can absolutely freeze pumpkin puree. You may need to re-strain it to reduce the amount of water again. Other than that it’ll be fine. ~ karen!
So I just finished pouring my pumpkin purée into the crust and I’m concerned its a little runny?? This is my first try with any sort of pie so maybe this is normal? I drained in cheese cloth over night and followed to a “T”….think it will be ok?
Oop .. probably too late for my answer now Cherie. Yes. It’ll be fine. The filling looks so runny that it’ll never firm up. Bit it does! Lemme know how it tastes. ~ karen
I also have a rolling pin that is marble but mine is a dark green and came with a matching green marble stand to keep it from rolling away. I had the strange foresight to shell out the whole $15 I paid for it at an antique mall when I was surprisingly young to make such an astute purchase. The funny thing is that I almost got rid of it in a fit of purging. Really glad I didn’t because I now use it to make cookies that I decorate for my son.
I thought your response to Deb Robins was spot-on and well written. I have a young son, but don’t share your blog with him (except for the animal pics). I actually think I appreciate it even more as the rare thing I get to enjoy these days that is adult in nature. So, thanks for what you do. You do it well. You and David Sedaris are about the only people who can make me laugh out loud while I’m reading.
Tigersmom – That’s about the highest compliment you could pay me. ~ karen!
I like most of your details on making pie with the actual Pumpkin, but cannot share it with students because of your frequent use of profanity….Clean it up
Deb – I’m not sure what made you think this particular blog was a blog for kids, but it’s not. I’m also not sure why you think I should clean it up for you. The one reader to complain about the “profanity”. I prefer to cater to the half a million who read and enjoy it. It’s a blog for like-minded adults who have a sense of humour. You know. The kind of people who aren’t offended by HBO. Sorry. There’s plenty of other blogs or you to choose from. ~ karen
Yes.
“SUBSCRIBE if you like to sweat, swear and do stuff.”
Did you miss the part about swearing? lol
I made pumpkin pie with real pumpkins, frozen pie crust, and the maple whipped cream. I converted people who claim they hate pumpkin pie to loving pupmkin pie. Now I have to make 4 pies for Thanksgiving!
Hah! Sorry ’bout that. :) ~ karen
I had to go and look at my cans of pumpkin that I had in my pantry. The main ingredient was pumpkin.
Good job! You should try the real pumpkin though. The difference is unbelievable! I was stunned! ~ karen
I send this recipe to my husband and he made it last week. It was fantastic! Now I want to have pumpkin pie all year round.
I made this recipe over the weekend and…they LOVED it!! Now, I’m usually not a pumpkin pie kinda girl, but it was SOOOO good. It’s now in my recipe book. I didn’t have evaporated milk so I just used some heavy cream. There was no way I was going to drive 20 minutes just for evaporated milk. Thanks Karen!
So which pie won?
Squash is really soft too, if it’s straight from the garden, you can even peel it like a cucumber. It actually took two weeks of sitting on my counter for the acorn squash to get as hard as it does at the grocery store.
I don’t know what kind of pumpkins are growing in my garden I didn’t plant them. I’m really curious as to how they would taste in a pie, what happens if you use a halloween pumpkin for a pie? Does anybody know? Does it taste scary? Ha ha.
I make cranberry sauce, ever since I discovered how easy it is I bring it where ever I’m going and I even made it when I made turkey for Christmas two years ago. That said, I didn’t make a pie.
Sweet potato pie sounds yummy.
Turnips are growing on me. It’s taken years, still the thought of them in a pie is… I’d have to try it and be allowed to spit it out. LOL! gag.
Have you ever heard of Zucchini bread/Zucchini cake? You should try it. Yum.
Anna! I grow acorn squash too and you’re actually supposed to let it cure for a couple of weeks … so it being soft when you first pick it is normal! I HAVE had zucchini bread. And it *is* delicious. :) – karen! Oh and … click here to see which pumpkin pie won!
Hi!! I have a rolling pin just like yours – scares all men…
Me too! But now I’m wondering where the danged thing IS. I usually cheat and buy crusts (but I make cranberry sauce for MONTHS when they’re in season…whee!)
I’m disappointed that you’re being so adamant about the cranberry sauce, you could even use maple syrup instead of sugar…
I’m glad you said you can make this with squash. Although we can get pumpkins over here, they tend to be the biggish ones for carving up for hallow’een.
Butternut squashes are much easier to come by. Yum yum.
Lo and behold I found sugar pumpkins at the grocery store and bought two…then learned that my mom already made pies for Thanksgiving dinner…but I’m hosting Christmas dinner. Do you think I can (1) store the pumpkins in a cool place until December (2) roast them then freeze the cooked pulp; or (3) roast them, add the other stuff and then freeze all that until Christmas? We always had pumpkin pie for Christmas dinner but obviously it always came from a can!
Hi Janelle! You have a few options. As you know! If I were you I would cook the pumpkin as I’ve stated, let it drain and then puree it. Then freeze it. When you go to use it in December, I would thaw it, re-puree it and then re-drain it. (to make sure the pulp still has a good consistency and isn’t watery. I wouldn’t bake the pie first and then freeze it. I don’t think the pumpkin puree will maintain a nice consistency and I fear the texture will get a bit grainy. I don’t think your pumpkins will last until December in a cool place. I’m not *positive* but I don’t think so. The other thing you can do is make your pie out of butternut squash. I’ve never done it, but I know that a lot of pumpkin pie recipes call for butternut squash as an alternative to pumpkin! Let’s face it … the spices are what give pumpkin pie most of it’s flavour anyway! Let me know how it all works out! – karen
8-12 weeks is about tops for a properly cured and stored pumpkin.
Karen, don’t listen to these people that demand you make cranberry sauce. That is precisely the thing that you farm out to one of your guests. In fact, I always volunteer to make cranberry sauce, precisely because I’M NOT HOSTING! In fact I usually make some other stuff too, but again, because I don’t want to cook a damned turkey which is way more difficult and time consuming.
On the pie front, I actually prefer butternut squash pie. But you follow exactly the same instructions. go figure.
I love the pictures too!
Thank you Sera! You’ll notice that of all the people who wanted me to make my own cranberry sauce, none a single ONE of them volunteered to make it, refrigerate it and then send me the whole thing, fridge and all via Purolator by Sunday afternoon. :) ~ karen p.s. I’ve heard squash makes excellent pumpkin pie. Perhaps I’ll try it once pie pumpkins are out of season!
Now I wish our Thanksgiving was in October, I can’t wait to make this pumpkin pie! DO NOT make cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving! Make this cranberry relish for any night that’s NOT Thanksgiving. Frozen or fresh cranberries sorted and dumped into a food processor, pulse until it’s kind of like a fine relish. Now measure out how many cups of cranberry relish you have and add an equal amount of sugar. (2 cups relish? add 2 cups sugar) In a bowl stir it all up and let it sit in the fridge for a while, overnight is the best. Now serve it cold on top of almost any chicken or turkey creamy casserole, or on any turkey/chicken sandwich, or just eat it straight out of the bowl, ’cause it’s soooo good.
Angie. O.K. You’ve convinced me. ~ karen
Thanks so much for the pictures. Now I think I can do it!
ok, Have to put in my two cents. I have been reading up on taste buds. yes, apparently there are “tasters” and “nontasters”. Us nontasters love everything, however we don’t have a very delicate palate. We see it, we consume it. We like strong flavors. I swear I have had both canned and fresh pumpkin pie. I can’t tell a lick of difference. Sad I know. But I can eat cilantro fresh by the handful too. Raw garlic is about the only thing that is a bit too strong. And I don’t like the texture of liver, other than that, I love all food.
By the way, I can’t tell the difference in honey roasted peanut butter and regular either. I like homemade cranberry sauce but that is because I put raspberry jello in mine and make it zippy. Ok that more like five pennies instead of two cents but it was good to share.
As I am relatively new to this wonderfully entertaining and informative blog, I was wondering if we have ever seen pictures of said big-headed/wonderful boyfriend. Just curious…
Nicely done, Karen!
My grandmother used to use 1/2 pumpkin and 1/2 squash in her pies… and so do I.
I had a revelation too, many years ago, when I witnessed an acquaintance roast A WHOLE PUMPKIN in the oven and then puree the whole thing, skin, seeds and with the liquid ingredients for the filling and it was DELICIOUS! So if you are super lazy like me, don’t waste time peeling and scooping out the guts – eat the whole thing!
Thanks! With all the pumpkin bread recipes out there this time of year, I was wanting to make some with fresh pumpkin, but I wasn’t sure how to go about preparing it… now I know!
Btw, I have a lovely cranberry chutney recipe… ;)
haha! you guys are fantastic.
i really wanted to try making pie from scratch last year, but there was some sort of ridiculous ‘pumpkin shortage’ so i couldn’t find pie pumpkins. even the canned stuff was a lot more expensive than usual. i almost used a regular large one, but was advised against that. hopefully this year i’ll be able to find some real pie pumpkins!
I will definately be making a pumpkin pie this year. It looks way better than the sad little frozen crust/sloppy can pumpkin pie that you made (although I’m sure that’s great too :/)
The best is when you get cranberry from the can and it retains its shape of the can (this might be cranberry gelatin or something). My mom whipped it out of the can one year for Thanksgiving and cut into slices, complete with can indentations still on it :)
Karen, please tell me you soak your punkin seeds in saltwater then roast them….I’ll cry if they got thrown on the compost pile.
oh yes, roasted SEEDS! the very best part of pumpkin carving.
I’m going to try this on Monday (our Canadian Thanksgiving) I’m a newby to your blog and I love it.
A Dollarama has opened up in the next town and I’m going there tomorrow. I’m starting to fill with anticipation already.
Thanks again for your such a great blog.
Whoops, forgot to add…
Turnip pie? Ugh, just shoot me now before you put that on my plate!
Now, I might be wrong, but aren’t sugar pumpkins and pie pumpkins the same thing? Maybe they’re just labelled differently? I’m totally making this and have been waiting for this post since the comment in the whipped cream post! Yeah, how sad am I?
Now, on a more serious note, you don’t make your own cranberry sauce? Woman, what is wrong with you? It’s maximum pay-off for almost no effort! People think you’re some sort of superstar if you can boil a bag of cranberries with some sugar and lemon zest. It’s ridiculous. And you can do it way ahead of time. And for the record, cranberry sauce rocks!
Rebecca! Yes, sugar pumpkins are a type of pie pumpkin. There are a few different types with sugar pumpkins being the most popular. And NO. I am not making my own cranberry sauce. And there is nothing wrong with me. I have made it. I realize it’s easy. I’m not doin’ it. Perhaps I will farm the task out to one of the 15 people coming. End of story. NOT MAKING CRANBERRY SAUCE! Phew. That feels better. ~ karen
My family won’t eat home made sauce even though I love it – and whole cranberries. They LOVE the jellied canned sauce and the can shape must be presented since I once made the mistake of cutting it up so it looked a little less like dog food. BUT, I love canned sauce on dressing sandwiches the next day. YUM. The old timers used to clean out the pumpkin, add cream and spices and eggs to the “bowl”, put the lid back on and bake it in the wood stove. The pumpkin got soft and sort of fell into the hot creamy soup inside and then they let it cool, scooped out the slush and served it in a bowl. It actually sounds good but would be more like pumpkin pudding, I guess. Now getting a recipe for spiced pumpkin latte would be wonderful since I love anything pumpkin. It would be even better if there was a variation that could be blended with ice cream and crushed ice to make a real slushy. Any ideas?
Wow, who knew it was that easy??!! And to think that on my way home today I was going to swing by the store to grab canned pumpkin… never again! lol
My aunt often tricks my family by making her “pumpkin pie” with sweet potatoes… can’t even tell the difference!
You have decorative haystacks on your counter? did you buy them like that?
I did! In fact my boyfriend got them for me last year and I kept them in tact in a rubbermaid bin in the basement. I got 3 different sizes of them. Large, medium and small at my local garden centre. They’re pretty cute!
Oh wauw… I didn’t realize this was a big secret.
I live in a country where canned pumpkin just isn’t available, so if I want pumpkin pie I had to make it from scratch every time.
Yours look very good though, so I might borrow your recipe.
Here is a really cute idea for what to do with your gorgeous pumpkin stems! I have wanted to make these for a few years now, but unfortunately, gorgeous pumpkin stems are not very easy to come by in the dry dry desert of Las Vegas.
http://www.plushpumpkin.com/velvet-pumpkins.html
Elise! Those pumpkins are beauuuutiful. I love them. – karen!
Thanks for all the work you put into this post…great pictures too. I have done this but have never found “pie pumpkins” so have used just regular ones…they work but will have to try your method of letting some juice drain out.Good tip:)
Oh I want to say that I keep a rubber mallet in my kitchen and when I have to cut a squash or a pumpkin, I put the veggie on a cloth so it won’t fly around and get a really long knife and whack it with the mallet(usually at the tip of the knife)….cuts through it no prob! Try it, it saves your hands and makes it so much easier.
Thanks for the tip Pati! It’d probably be GREAT for cutting turnip. Surprisingly though, the pumpkins are really easy to cut through. Much easier than a squash. Who would have thought?!
Thanks for this lovely post; I dig the Autumny-y pictures and am left with a serious hankering for punkin’ pie…still too lazy to bake at this point in my evening, but definitely could lay into one. No judgment on the cranberry sauce, but I did giggle at the fact that it takes about five minutes to make and with all the other stars you’re reaching for, THAT is where you chose to draw the line. It is awesome. The cranberry that broke the Karen’s back.
I know … I know! If someone else wants to make and bring the 5 minute cranberry sauce with pomegranate seeds they’re more than welcome to. But at this point … that is exactly right. The cranberry that broke the Karen’s back. LOL.
I will see if I can buy pie pumpkins tomorrow!! Thanks for the tip. I’ve heard you can make turnip pie….have you tried this?
Turnip Pie!! No. I have never heard of turnip pie! I assume it’s something you’d serve *with* dinner as opposed to after it with whipped cream. Or maybe not. Add enough maple syrup to the turnips I guess and anything’s possible.
Turnip pie is the same as pumpkin pie if you buy canned pumpkin. One of the main ingredients in some of the cheap canned pumpkins is turnip!
Hi Meg – Are you sure it isn’t squash you’re talking about? ~ karen
Let’s talk cranberry sauce. Easy as pie. I add some pomegranate seeds. Fresh cranberry sauce is vastly underrated. Seriously, let’s talk. Maybe I won’t bring up the “add 1 homemade pie crust” shortcut you’ve furtively thrown in above, cheater!
HAHAHAH. Yes … about the pie crust thing. I fully admit to shirking. I thought with the 50 pictures and epic length of the post I should probably skip the homemade crust instruction. I have made homemade cranberry sauce before but … I have the turkey, the stuffing, the pies, the mashed potatoes, the pulling out the dining room table leaves from under my bed, the setting the table (WITH my Dollarama table runners), the smoked tomato and roasted red pepper soup … and on and on. (plus I don’t actually eat cranberry sauce so what the hell do I care?!) love Karen.
OH! And a television crew coming to shoot here on Friday. Plus one of my cats seems to be getting a little “puddiny”. Might have to start taking her for evening constitutionals.
You can make pumpkin ale with the strained pumpkin juice. ;)
How do you make pumpkin ale with the pumpkin juice?
Looks delish! I think I will try this!