Autumn Pumpkins

Hands down, one of my favourite times of year is Autumn.  Everything makes me happy, from the crisp morning air to the beautiful Fall colours.  I particularly like the end-of-summer harvest, with a plethora of root vegetables, onions, cabbage and fruits like apples, pears, squash and pumpkin.  It’s definitely a busy time in the kitchen for me, which I don’t mind because the heat of summer is long gone and the cold days of winter are not quite here.  I spend my days preserving bushels and bushels of farmer’s market finds. One fruit I have always used, but only recently starting canning, is pumpkin. Home-canned pumpkin ranks up there now on my yearly must-do canning list.  There is no comparison when it comes to home-canned pumpkin versus the canned, store-bought varieties, which, by the way, are not usually 100% pumpkin, even though the label states it is. The store-bought pumpkin is typically a variety of other squash.  Besides the benefit of great tasting dishes and desserts, pumpkin is also good for you. Packed with vitamins A and C, as well iron and potassium, pumpkin is a healthy choice. Just don’t eat too much of it or you may start to look like a pumpkin. The phenomenon called beta carotene in the blood is caused by eating too much pumpkin and can tint your skin an orange or yellow colour when consumed in large amounts.

I use home-canned pumpkin in a multitude of recipes, everything from savoury ravioli, pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie and of course, pumpkin cheesecake.  Home-canned pumpkin is thinner than its store-bought canned counterpart, therefore, drain off the liquid from the canned pumpkin. There are nutrients in this liquid, so I save it and add it to homemade soup.  The pumpkin will not be as thick as what you find in a store-bought can of pumpkin. A little less milk and a little more flour may be all it takes for most baking recipes. Things like pumpkin soup or even pumpkin pasta noodles would not need any adjustment to the recipe.