So I was in the store the other day and saw this bin full of "Pie Pumpkins". Besides being adorable tiny little pumpkins, the stickers have a recipe on them on how to make a pie out of them.
 |
| Pie Pumpkins |
We must confess, we've never heard of them. When I think of pumpkin pie, I just think of regular pumpkins. You know, the kind carved up for Halloween. Oh, sure I could Google it, but we like to hear firsthand from readers with stories about using them.
I'm also thinking that if they are easy to grow, this might be a good crop to grow for next Fall (2015), if they are suited to our climate of course. They would be great for pumpkin pies and we were even thinking that they would make really neat Autumn themed soup bowls.
Anyone ever grown them?
Anyone ever used them?
I'm also thinking that if they are easy to grow, this might be a good crop to grow for next Fall (2015), if they are suited to our climate of course. They would be great for pumpkin pies and we were even thinking that they would make really neat Autumn themed soup bowls.
Anyone ever grown them?
Anyone ever used them?
My pumpkin crops have been a bit disappointing. Good luck with your crop next year. I've always loved the idea of growing pumpkins.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll see how it goes. I've heard they can be both super easy and very picky, ha. It is a neat idea isn't it? Seems like the essence of Fall to have your own pumpkins. :-)
DeleteAs far as I know, you *could* use regular carving pumpkins. The smaller "pie" pumpkins are sweeter though, which is why they're usually used to make pies out of. I've never attempted to use a larger one to cook with, so I couldn't tell you. I have done a few things with the smaller ones and they usually turn out pretty darn tasty.
ReplyDeleteI have seen them called sugar pie pumpkins too so that makes sense. I heard the big ones are difficult to work with for cooking. I bet the flavor is more concentrated in the small ones. Thanks for the info!
Deletepie pumpkins are sweeter and less fibrous so they are much better for pies than just any old pumpkin. they also rot faster so they are not good for carving.
ReplyDeleteCool! So they are the better ones for cooking with. We don't carve a lot of pumpkins, but we do eat a lot, ha. Thanks!!
DeleteOne year I made pumpkin pies from scratch using a regular pumpkin. Lots of work! Enjoyed the seeds, though. Now I live where they don't grow. I read that the stuff in the can to make pumpkin pie is actually squash of some kind. Has anybody ever made pumpkin butter?
ReplyDeleteMmmm, roasted pumpkin seeds are so good. My grandmother made apple butter but I never thought about pumpkin butter. That sounds yummy! Maybe more incentive to try to grow some next season, ha.
DeleteI can give you my favourite pumpkin pie recipe...it involves a car and a grocery store lol.
ReplyDeleteNow that made me laugh out loud. I hear ya. We might try it just to see what's involved but there are some darn good pies at the grocery store, ha. Love it!
DeleteThey look like the type of pumpkin I grow. Here they are called 'Golden Nugget' and are roughly the size of a rockmelon. I like them because they are easy to peel and are sweet as well as being the perfect size for a meal. I have found them easy to grow and have had no problems storing them over winter. I have also grown these on a trellis!
ReplyDeleteI looked those up and they are very similar. A trellis? That sounds like a fun project for next season, ha. These seem a little heavy for something on a trellis but maybe that's how they grow here too. I will have to check that out.
DeleteI make homemade pies every year from scratch with pie pumpkins. It's a lot of work but well worth it! Fresh pumpkin is so much better than canned. I also break with tradition and use a graham cracker crust :)
ReplyDeleteOh I love graham cracker crusts, that's a great idea. You know I don't think we've ever had a 'freshly' made pumpkin pie. We might just pick up a couple and try it out. Thanks for commenting!!
DeleteIf I were going to make homemade pumpkin pies, I would use these. I do think they are sweeter. But, usually, my pumpkin comes in a can. :)
ReplyDeleteHey, we've always used the can too, I think that's what most of the world does, ha. I'll have to try it and just see what happens. I'll keep you posted! :-)
DeleteLast year I had the Sugar Baby Pumpkins in the garden. (They are small pumpkins) Got some but the chicken got the most. They didn't ripen very well. This year I grew Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. It did better, but I have the best luck with the Butternut-Waltham Squash. It is a winter squash but we plant after last frost (about last of March). This Texas heat is so hard on it during the middle of the summer. I have heard that it is mostly what in the can pumpkin we buy in the stores. When made as a pumpkin pie if someone did not know it they would think it was pumpkin except it much better than the store bought. I cut them in half scrap the seeds out and bake in a 375F oven until the skin cut be pierced easily with a knife. Cool and scrap out the pumpkin. I freeze mine and use it all year. They keep well too in storage.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I will have to look that up. Yes, our Texas heat is crazy and it does affect things. I like the idea of a butternut squash as a substitute. And we love butternut anyway. Thanks for the info!
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteI grew all kinds of pie pumpkins, there awesome for making pies and breads.
This year my pie pumpkins were doing good, and just before time to pick the bugs started destroying the vines and pumpkins. You should try growing them but watch out for squash bugs!!!
Dang bugs! I have heard of squash bugs being a problem but since i haven't made it to growing squash yet, haven't had to fight the battle. Well, we are going to buy a few I think and give them a whirl. And when those seed catalogs come this Winter, i think I'll get some and I'll try a couple of varieties next year. Thank you!
DeleteI haven't had a lot of luck growing pie pumpkins. But I have had luck with a variety of winter squashes. And this year I grew Black Futsu and Australian Butter. Both did much better than any pumpkins I've ever grown.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Ooh, thanks for the suggestion. I always like to learn and read about new varieties (new to us anyway, ha). Thanks again!
DeleteWe grow butternut squash commercially...that's what's in the canned "pumpkin" in the store...
ReplyDeleteI had heard that but was never sure. That's good to know. We LOVE butternut squash. Sigh, going to have to wait until next year but hey, good things come to those who wait, right?
DeleteI grew pumpkins by accident one year. I threw my kindergarten class's carved pumpkin and innards out into my garden after Halloween. Pumpkin vines that Fall and then the next spring, vines which produced pumpkins!
ReplyDeleteHere's an article from the Texas Gardener magazine on growing pumpkins: http://www.texasgardener.com/pastissues/mayjun06/pumpkin.html
Now that's funny! Hey, nature finds a way, right?
DeleteThanks for the link, I will read all about it!!
I grow them every year. This year, only 2 vines and I ended up with 11 sugar baby pie pumpkins. I pinch off a lot of the buds to divert the energy into producing fruit. Otherwise I would end up with 30 foot vines! Squash bugs are a menace though!!
ReplyDeleteThat's, theoretically, 11 pies, right? Ha. I'm always thinking about food, LOL! I sure hope the grow here, I'll have to do some research. I've heard squash bugs are bad bugs.
DeleteHas a hint of marketing to me... lol... since a pumpkin usually has a name, i.e. heirloom Marina Di Chioggia, Galeux d'Eysines, Red Kuri Squash, and perhaps one of the most versatile and easy to grow, Butternut_ make puree for pies, gnocchi, ravioli, bread, roasting and just plain eating.
ReplyDeletePS: thanks for stopping by so I could find your blog.
Well thank YOU for stopping by and commenting as well. I love blog hopping and finding 'new' friends online. I think these are actually called sugar pie pumpkins" so I 'think' it's a real variety but I'm kind of like you, not sure if it's more marketing than anything else. Heck, butternut might be the way to go, ha. Thanks again!!
DeleteI agree with Diana above..........marketing.
ReplyDeleteMy go to pumpkin these days is Galeux d' Eysines. Grow it, eat it and swoon. It is a french heirloom
pumpkin with sugar warts. Ugly as sin but Heaven on earth. Lots of compost and tons of water even in CANADA! I also grow Winter Luxury Pie.........a small pumpkin for pie not bad. Both are good keepers
Good luck for next yrs crop!
barb
I remember back in the early to mid-70s cutting off the tops of small pie pumpkins, cleaning them out and filling them with the custardy-type mixture used to make pumpkin pie—eggs, evaporated milk, white and brown sugar and spices—then baking them on a rimmed cookie sheet until the custard was set. I served one small pumpkin per person, with individual bowls of whipped cream on the side. Just spoon out the pumpkin flesh with the custard and dip in whipped cream. It was a long time ago, but I may have to try that again this fall!
ReplyDelete