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Fun Facts
Pumpkins come in different shapes and colors. Some are green, some are white or speckled, and some look like bowling pins! Early Native Americans used the seeds from crooked neck pumpkins as medicine, added the blossoms to stews, and ate dried pumpkin during the long, cold winters. And they didn't stop there. They dried the pumpkin shells and used them as bowls. They even dried the skins in strips and wove them into mats!
Star Power
Pumpkins are packed with good-for-your-heart magnesium, lots more fiber than kale, and more potassium than a banana! In fact, one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains twice the recommended daily requirement for vitamin A. Did you know that pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols that can reduce LDL or bad cholesterol?
Quick Preps
PREPARE:
- Wash pumpkin under cool water.
- Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Keep seeds for roasting.
- Cut pumpkin into wedges along the groove lines, then peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler.
- Cut into chunks.
- Add pumpkin cubes to soups, stir-fries, casseroles, and stews.
- Make pizza with pumpkin slices and goat cheese.
- Roast pumpkin cubes with olive oil and sea salt at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Add roasted pumpkin cubes to salad, pasta, or grain bowls.
Fun Tip
Buy Cinderella pumpkins to make your meal extra magical!
Star-Powered Recipe
Magical Pumpkin Muffin Tin Pies
Serves 12
Ingredients
- Crust
- 2 9-inch Wholly Wholesome Pie Dough rounds or gluten-free pie crust dough
Filling
- 1 can of pumpkin (15 ounces)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup of honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. natural vanilla
- Coconut milk to thin as needed (no more than about ⅓ cup)
Topping Coconut fluff (LINK TO RECIPE)
Method
- Prep your dough. Using a bowl or 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from your two 9-inch pie crust doughs.
- Place each circle into a pre-greased muffin tin. Press them in, letting the edges flower up above the tin to form the upper crust edge. Pierce the bottom of your dough with a fork to keep the crust from bubbling up as it cooks.
- Combine the filling ingredients (except coconut milk) and mix using an immersion blender, regular blender or food processor. Add coconut milk if needed to thin slightly.
- Pour your filling into each muffin tin cup. Fill them to the top of the tin, leaving a ¼ of crust edge.
- Bake your muffin tin pumpkin pies at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake them for 25-30 minutes more.
- Cool on a wire rack for a couple of hours to let the pumpkin filling set.
- Add a dollop of coconut fluff to each individual muffin tin pie. Serve and enjoy!
How to Store
Raw, whole: A fresh, whole pumpkin will store well in a cool, dry area for up to 2 months. If stored at room temperature, expect shorter storage times. Do not refrigerate. Be sure to cook pumpkin before freezing. Cooked, mashed pumpkin in an airtight container or freezer bag can last up to a year in the freezer.
How It Grows
Pumpkin grows on vines up to 30 feet long.
Peak Seasons
Fall
Varieties
Hooligan, Cotton Candy, Orange Smoothie, Connecticut Field, Jack-Be-Little, Howden, Cinderella, Big Max, Green and Gold