There are certain things in life that are not worth the effort.
Making your own spring rolls complete with skins from scratch? Not worth the effort.
Rotating your own car tires? Not worth the effort.
Saving a few bucks by cutting your own hair with your kitchen scissors? Not worth the effort.
On the other hand, cutting your own steaks from a roast is completely worth the effort. Ditto for actually reading your camera's manual to figure out how to use it and making your own BBQ sauce.
The problem is you have to undergo a few experiments and a few wasted days in order to figure out what's worth the effort and what isn't. It took me several nights out on the lawn with a sprinkler and a flashlight to come to grips with the fact that it's not worth the effort. Now I just pay the $2 and buy a container of worms for fishing.
So for the longest time I've been wondering whether baking a pumpkin pie from scratch, complete with baking the actual pumpkin was worth it. Did it really produce a pie that was far superior to one made with canned pumpkin? I'd made and eaten both, but I'd never tried them side by side.
So last week I cooked 2 pumpkin pies.
One I made by baking a sugar pumpkin, hand grinding the cinnamon, and making the crust from scratch.
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Pie Made with Real Pumpkin
ANY CHARA CTER HERE
The other I made by using a can of pumpkin glop and a frozen crust.
Pumpkin Pie with Canned Pumpkin
And then I took to the streets (my mom's street, my sister's street, my niece's street .... ) to find out which pie tasted the best.
Was all the work of a scratch pumpkin pie really worth it? Or is buying a can of pumpkin and a frozen crust just as good? My hope was that the canned pumpkin glop and frozen crust would end up being as good, just for the sheer hilarity of it. And of course the convenience.
So ... after asking 10 people, including:
My mom
My niece
My boyfriend
One of my sisters
... the results were indisputable.
After tasting both pumpkin pies ....
9 out of 10 preferred ...
Real Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie!
The one hold out was my sister. She actually preferred the canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie. She even tried it twice to make sure.
Everyone else, hands down, preferred the home made pumpkin pie. They liked the texture, the colour and the crust better.
So ... if given the choice over the next little while between spending time making a real pumpkin pie and squishing worms in the grass with your thumb. Go for the pie. It's worth the effort.
** Re: comments. Are you kidding me people?? What do I have to do???? Cut myself and bleed pumpkin?
Yes. If you want, you can used canned pumpkin. But no, it will not taste as good as using a pumpkin you baked yourself.
If you must choose between either making the crust or making the pumpkin filling from scratch, make the pumpkin filling!**
Hi there Karen from sunny wintery SA.
All kinds of pumpkins, butternuts and squash are ripening over here and so my thoughts turn to pumpkin pie SA style - I've tried yours and gotta say I still don't like American Pumpkin pie - no matter where or how the pumpkin is prepared. I guess it's just not a taste I go for.
My kinda pumpkin pie uses raw uncooked pumpkin and is just divine. Can't get enough of the stuff. I dare you to try this recipe for something completely different - yet it's also pumpkin pie :) go on - DO! It's the EASIEST thing - and you HAVE to use home prepared pumpkin :)
Really delicious Pumpkin Pie (South African Style)
Cream together: 125g margarine/butter, 200ml sugar and 3 eggs
add: 250ml cake flour, 15ml baking powder and a pinch salt
Fold in 750 ml grated raw pumpkin and 5mls vanilla (mixture will look curdled) and spread in a pie dish.
Top with brown sugar mixed with a little grating of nutmeg and lots of ground cinnamon and bake at 160 C (med oven) for 40 mins. Serve hot or cold, with or without cream or ice-cream.
YUM YUM YUM!!!
I am obviously late to the pumpkin party but just had to add that there must be pumpkins grown esp. for cooking and ones grown more for looking at. My
"from scratch" pie was most likely inadvertantly made from the later because it was aweful! pale, watery and tasteless,not even a homemade crust and real whipping cream could save it.and ps Karen you are still making me laugh out loud,even tho hubby is not here to enjoy :)
Bernie - Yes ... pie pumpkins are the small ones, about the size of a large cantelope. Grocery stores often carry them in the fall as do garden centres. They're normally in a great big wooden crate. Glad you're still laughing! ~ karen
I really like your blog and your pumpkin pie directions (with picture...soooo helpful!). I have a homeade crust for apple pie but I was wondering if you had a recipe for YOUR homeade pumpkin pie CRUST. If so, please share!!!
Thanks so much,
Aly
I'm going to be sharing that recipe in the near future so I don't wanna give it way now. If it's an emergency and you need it immediately email me and I'll send it to you and only you! Otherwise ... in the next few weeks it'll be up. :) karen! karen@theartofdoingstuff.com
My dad gave me a sugar pumpkin this year (he grows them in his garden) and it's my responsibility to bring the pies to Thanksgiving. I'm curious if the draining through a cheesecloth is necessary?
Hi Rebecca! The draining really is necessary. Otherwise the pumpkin will be too watery and your filling won't set. You'll be amazed at how much liquid comes out. It's not a big deal to do, but it makes a big difference in the pie. ~ karen!
I just found this post and your pumpkin pie recipe. I am making a from scratch pumpkin pie for the first time (and with my 7 year old daughter) for Thanksgiving this year since we've ended up with 4 pie pumpkins since Halloween and I hate to see them just rot. Thanks for the tips!
You're welcome Patricia. Don't forget to strain the cooked pumpkin! People seem to want to skip that part, lol, but it's very important. Have a great Thanksgiving! ~ karen
it's actually not that hard to do my father and I make pumpkin filling and the crust from scratch each year. we always do ot the day before. usually we cut up the pumpkin and put it in a roaster with some water and bake at 350 for about an hour or until we can peirce it with a fork easily. then scoop out the insides. in that hour while we wait we make our crusts. the only time consuming thing I find is when we have to bake. the recipe we use makes at least 7 pies and we can only fit 3 at a time in the oven. but it's never stopped is and when we give the extras to our friends and family they love it way better than others.
Right, Karen! Agreed! It's worth the effort to make pumpkin pie from scratch..... even the crust: what's so difficult about making one's own crust?
We (my wife and I) process several pumpkins each Fall- enough for pies and muffins for the coming year; just drain well. I repeat, DRAIN WELL, place in plastic bags (we reuse individual milk bags), enough for an individual pie, and freeze.
All pumpkins are NOT the same! Jack-O-Lantern types are not good pie pumpkins. The small (sometimes called sugar pumpkins are better. They look great: dark burnt orange skin, sprinkled with cinnamony, nutmegy spots, but the best pie pumpkins are commonly called (among other colloquial names) New York Cheese Cake pumpkins. Their skin resembles that of butternut squash, the meat a deep orange, texture and flavour is excellent. Another very good pie pumpkin is a French variety, its skin a zombie gray colour... but the taste is excellent. Both are grown by some Mennonites in southern Ontario.
Hi!
Just used the Real Pumpkin Pie recipe to make my puree, thanks! I was hoping you could point me in the direction of your homemade crust recipe?
Thank you,
Sarah
Hi Sarah! I haven't posted it it! I actually use Ashley English's pie crust recipe and she just happens to have published it on Design*Sponge so you can find it there. :) I often use half butter and half lard. ~ karen!