Preserving "The Great Pumpkin"

O.K., Charlie Brown and Linus might have a problem with chopping up pumpkins and eating them, but, then Charlie Brown and Linus have problems with a lot of things! The poor fellas. Oh, well, we just won't tell them what we're planning to do.

This time of year, all my neighbors start calling, asking me if I want the pumpkins they have decorated their tables and front porches with before the Thanksgiving guests arrived. Now that the festivities are over, and they are focusing on Christmas, those bright orange pumpkins have got to go! Of course, my answer is an enthusiastic "sure, I'll take all you have." If they are too ripe, or when I receive more than I can use in a year's time, I just toss the excess over the fence to the cows, and they think they are in heaven. No, I can't bear to see anything go to waste, but that is pretty obvious, isn't it?

Pumpkins are easy to freeze, or dehydrate, and a versatile vegetable to use. You can make your pumpkin puree into pies, preserves, fruit leather, breads, cakes, and much more. Now, how does one begin, you ask?

You can bake smaller pumpkins whole, then scoop out the pulp. I usually am dealing with larger pumpkins, and so I cut them in half, scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers, turn them cut side down on a cookie sheet, and bake them. Whether whole or cut, bake them at 375 degrees for about 2 hours, or until soft. Then, let them cool, or you will burn your fingers! Once cool enough to handle, peel them and and cut into cubes. Run these through a food mill, sieve, or food processor (my Cuisinart makes short work of this job) until pureed.

To freeze your puree: place the puree in freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. I like to freeze mine in amounts that match what I will need for recipes. If I use 3 cups of puree for my favorite bread recipe, then I freeze 3 cup quantities, and write on the bag how much and for what recipe it is packaged.

For fruit leather: mix 1 cup pumpkin puree with 1 cup apple sauce, add 1/2 cup honey or brown sugar, and cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to taste. Spread out and dehydrate as you would with any other fruit leather.

To dehydrate pumpkin slices to use in pies and breads later: seed, scrape, peel, and cut in slices 1 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick. Blanch for 2 or 3 minutes, and drain; they will be slightly soft. Place in the dehydrator at 125 degrees until brittle.

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