What is your favorite pumpkin flavored food?

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Lildarlinz wrote: »

The only way I like my pumpkin is carved with a little candle in sitting on my fireplace at Halloween 🤣🤣🤣💀🎃👻

I’ve seen pumpkin soup but I don’t think I could actually eat the thing 🤣🤣🙈🙈

The smell of the pumpkin when I carve it just isn’t satisfying and that goo you pull out of the middle is ewww 🤣🤣

The goo is filled with pumpkin seeds that are delicious when roasted (with or without salt and oil, per your taste).

Yes! With popcorn salt and a good brand of chili powder, please!

kshama2001 wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

Lildarlinz wrote: »

I’ve seen pumpkin soup but I don’t think I could actually eat the thing 🤣🤣🙈🙈

Very interesting to me is the fact that pumpkin soup is very popular in Australia - I read somewhere it is the most common of home made soups and I can understand why, since it is so easy to make and so tasty.
Yet Americans don't seem familiar with it, despite their love of pumpkin everything else.

I usually use butternut pumpkin as it is a lot easier to cut than the Halloween type pumpkins

Roast pumpkin , along with carrots and potatoes, is also popular vegetable to have with roast meat dinners

But we dont often see pumpkin pies like in America and not so much pumpkin added to cookies, muffins, bread etc - although you do see bit of that.

It's not pumpkin that's popular here in the US - it's pumpkin pie spice - Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves,

Nutmeg - if winter squash is actually involved, it's an afterthought

do you mean Americans like pumpkin spice mix in things but not actual pumpkin??

as far as I know there is no pumpkin spice mix here in Australia - not for home baking anyway, I'm sure it is in commercial pumpkin muffins and co - and so when people say they have pumpkin with roasts or even make pumpkin bread or suchlike (as well as afore mentioned soup) they are using real pumpkins, either Butternut or the Halloween looking ones (commonly Queensland Blue variety here)
I have not seen pumpkin in cans here - perhaps it is available, I have never looked for it, but given I have never heard of anyone using it, I suspect it isn't.

paperpudding wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

Lildarlinz wrote: »

I’ve seen pumpkin soup but I don’t think I could actually eat the thing 🤣🤣🙈🙈

Very interesting to me is the fact that pumpkin soup is very popular in Australia - I read somewhere it is the most common of home made soups and I can understand why, since it is so easy to make and so tasty.
Yet Americans don't seem familiar with it, despite their love of pumpkin everything else.

I usually use butternut pumpkin as it is a lot easier to cut than the Halloween type pumpkins

Roast pumpkin , along with carrots and potatoes, is also popular vegetable to have with roast meat dinners

But we dont often see pumpkin pies like in America and not so much pumpkin added to cookies, muffins, bread etc - although you do see bit of that.

It's not pumpkin that's popular here in the US - it's pumpkin pie spice - Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves,

Nutmeg - if winter squash is actually involved, it's an afterthought

do you mean Americans like pumpkin spice mix in things but not actual pumpkin??

as far as I know there is no pumpkin spice mix here in Australia - not for home baking anyway, I'm sure it is in commercial pumpkin muffins and co - and so when people say they have pumpkin with roasts or even make pumpkin bread or suchlike (as well as afore mentioned soup) they are using real pumpkins, either Butternut or the Halloween looking ones (commonly Queensland Blue variety here)
I have not seen pumpkin in cans here - perhaps it is available, I have never looked for it, but given I have never heard of anyone using it, I suspect it isn't.

In the U.S. we don't consider butternut (squash) to be pumpkins -- we only call the round squash that I think are what you mean by Halloween looking ones "pumpkins," although you can find them smaller than most people use for jack o' lanterns and they'll typically be labelled "pie" pumpkins -- I assume because they're the right size for pies, but I don't think I've ever known anyone who made a pumpkin pie starting with a whole pumpkin. Everybody I know uses canned pumpkin for pie. It comes in two basic varieties. One is just pumpkin; the other has spices and possibly some dairy and sugar. I think it's ready to put in the pie shell, or maybe you need to add eggs and/or milk -- I'm not sure because my pie recipe calls for the just-pumpkin cans, and then you add spices, sugar, milk, and eggs (I'm pretty sure it calls for eggs, but honestly it's probably been 20 years since I made a pumpkin pie.

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

Lildarlinz wrote: »

I’ve seen pumpkin soup but I don’t think I could actually eat the thing 🤣🤣🙈🙈

Very interesting to me is the fact that pumpkin soup is very popular in Australia - I read somewhere it is the most common of home made soups and I can understand why, since it is so easy to make and so tasty.
Yet Americans don't seem familiar with it, despite their love of pumpkin everything else.

I usually use butternut pumpkin as it is a lot easier to cut than the Halloween type pumpkins

Roast pumpkin , along with carrots and potatoes, is also popular vegetable to have with roast meat dinners

But we dont often see pumpkin pies like in America and not so much pumpkin added to cookies, muffins, bread etc - although you do see bit of that.

It's not pumpkin that's popular here in the US - it's pumpkin pie spice - Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves,

Nutmeg - if winter squash is actually involved, it's an afterthought

do you mean Americans like pumpkin spice mix in things but not actual pumpkin??

as far as I know there is no pumpkin spice mix here in Australia - not for home baking anyway, I'm sure it is in commercial pumpkin muffins and co - and so when people say they have pumpkin with roasts or even make pumpkin bread or suchlike (as well as afore mentioned soup) they are using real pumpkins, either Butternut or the Halloween looking ones (commonly Queensland Blue variety here)
I have not seen pumpkin in cans here - perhaps it is available, I have never looked for it, but given I have never heard of anyone using it, I suspect it isn't.

In the U.S. we don't consider butternut (squash) to be pumpkins -- we only call the round squash that I think are what you mean by Halloween looking ones "pumpkins," although you can find them smaller than most people use for jack o' lanterns and they'll typically be labelled "pie" pumpkins -- I assume because they're the right size for pies, but I don't think I've ever known anyone who made a pumpkin pie starting with a whole pumpkin. Everybody I know uses canned pumpkin for pie. It comes in two basic varieties. One is just pumpkin; the other has spices and possibly some dairy and sugar. I think it's ready to put in the pie shell, or maybe you need to add eggs and/or milk -- I'm not sure because my pie recipe calls for the just-pumpkin cans, and then you add spices, sugar, milk, and eggs (I'm pretty sure it calls for eggs, but honestly it's probably been 20 years since I made a pumpkin pie.

Proper US "pie pumpkins" are bred for eating quality - texture, flavor, degree of moisture, etc. Most other pumpkins are bred for size and appearance (for carving or other decorative use).

Much US canned pumpkin, IMU, is something called "Dickinson Pumpkin" or "Dickinson Squash" (a big tan thing, not the regular orange type); or is a blend of Winter squash types.

I've grown both pie and other pumpkins, as well as butternut squash. I've made pie from pumpkins I've grown. IMO, it isn't worth the effort, plus canned pumpkin is more predictable and consistent: Canned pumpkin more reliably produces a pie with good texture and flavor. Ditto for other pumpkin baked goods. Also less work, obviously.

paperpudding wrote: »

Thanks for that.
What you are calling butternut squash we call butternut pumpkin then and that is what I use for soup and roasts. Some people use Queensland Blue which look like the sort of pumpkins you carve out for Halloween in US. You also get Kent pumpkins which look similar but smaller and skin is more greenish.
Halloween pumpkin carving is not much of a thing in Australia either and Halloween itself is not as big of a thing as it is in US.
Canned pumpkin is not a thing at all to my knowledge.
However you don't have to buy a whole pumpkin, supermarkets have them cut into pieces, so I would usually buy a piece that is about half a butternut pumpkin.
You can also buy bags of pre diced pumpkin pieces

Google thinks Queensland Blue are blue, and we carve the orange ones.





Speaking of blue squashes, my mother once found a Blue Hubbard squash while on a walk, and made the best pumpkin pie ever (I'm not normally a fan) but my mom lost the recipe she used that year and was unable to recreate it.

Google thinks Queensland Blue are blue, and we carve the orange ones.

I can confirm from real life experience that Queensland Blue are indeed blue skinned ( the name is not a misnomer! 🤣)- a sort of dusky grey blue.

I have not seen orange skinned pumpkins here in Australia, you can possibly get them but not common, and I don't recall ever seeing one.

I have never made a pumpkin pie nor recall anyone else doing so - which I suppose is odd, considering we do use pumpkins ( real ones, not canned) for soup, as a roast veg, an ingredient in breads, scones etc

paperpudding wrote: »

do you mean Americans like pumpkin spice mix in things but not actual pumpkin??

The US is huge and different states and regions have different climates and cultures. Where I live, tons of pumpkins and other squashes are grown and they are used for cooking and baking, as well as for decor. As soon as September hits, the floodgates open and you will see pumpkin products everywhere - made from actual pumpkins, not the spice mix.

Pumpkin soup, as well as butternut squash soup, is served in restaurants. I also saw pumpkin chili in a few places. Every restaurant or diner that serves breakfast will have pumpkin pancakes and waffles. It's a deluge of pumpkin anywhere baked goods are sold - pies, doughnuts, muffins, breads, cheesecake, cakes, cookies. Pumpkin roll is a local favorite. You bake a very thin pumpkin sheet cake, ice it with a cream cheese filling, and then roll it up and slice.

Both of my grandmothers made a dish from green pumpkins. They would shred the green pumpkins, cook down the meat, and then mix it with sour cream and bacon. They made a similar dish using turnips. It's hard to find green pumpkins in the supermarkets but it's easy to find them at any of the local farms, especially if you go to one in Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish country. There you'll find all of the above mentioned foods with the addition of pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin custard pie, pumpkin butter, plus any number of foods made from crookneck squashes.

And speaking of squashes, you'll see a lot of the "winter" squashes on the menu - roasted acorn and butternut squashes, mashed squashes, spiralized butternut squash "noodles." Spaghetti squash is amazing. Cut it in half, roast it, then take a fork and shred it, and serve it up like spaghetti.

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

Thanks for that.
What you are calling butternut squash we call butternut pumpkin then and that is what I use for soup and roasts. Some people use Queensland Blue which look like the sort of pumpkins you carve out for Halloween in US. You also get Kent pumpkins which look similar but smaller and skin is more greenish.
Halloween pumpkin carving is not much of a thing in Australia either and Halloween itself is not as big of a thing as it is in US.
Canned pumpkin is not a thing at all to my knowledge.
However you don't have to buy a whole pumpkin, supermarkets have them cut into pieces, so I would usually buy a piece that is about half a butternut pumpkin.
You can also buy bags of pre diced pumpkin pieces

Google thinks Queensland Blue are blue, and we carve the orange ones.





Speaking of blue squashes, my mother once found a Blue Hubbard squash while on a walk, and made the best pumpkin pie ever (I'm not normally a fan) but my mom lost the recipe she used that year and was unable to recreate it.

I've seen the blue Hubbard in stores and farm stands occasionally, but they were always so huge they seemed impractical for me. I usually go for butternut or acorn squash, as I can find them small enough to be just two servings.

Not only are they impractically huge, but an axe is the easiest way to get them open, and not everyone has an axe lying around

You can also smash it open on the ground:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/hubbard-squash

...When you want caramelized chunks of Hubbard squash, you’ll have to cut it and peel it before roasting. Cutting a Hubbard squash is not only difficult, but also, it’s dangerous. You would need a knife the size of a machete, the strength of a weightlifter and some magic to give it a flat side so it won’t roll around while you’re trying to cut it.

The easiest way to open a Hubbard squash is to let the squash do the work for you. Place the Hubbard squash in a bag (or place a towel on the ground) and raise the squash over your head. Drop the squash on the towel on a hard surface, and it'll crack open. Then follow these directions for roasting. You can use the roasted squash to make soup or in any dish calling for roast squash.

**************

You can also pre-soften the skin, shown after the machete, ax, and saw options:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Hn0y11iFQdc

I am so fascinated by this thread! I love learning how things are seen/used differently around the world.

I do a lot of baking and I use canned pumpkin (not the pre-seasoned pie filling). I like to try new pumpkin or pumpkin-spice things that I see pop up in stores. I thought pumpkin spice Cheerios were gross, but pumpkin spice Life cereal was yummy!

I buy butternut squash (which I never knew was called pumpkin in other parts of the world) already cubed, either fresh or frozen, and roast it for a side. I've never bought a whole butternut squash because I'm intimidated by it, lol.

I also buy one or two orange 'Halloween' pumpkins to decorate my front porch with each year. I used to carve them with my family but I've lost interest in that mess.

no1racefan2 wrote: »

I am so fascinated by this thread! I love learning how things are seen/used differently around the world.

I do a lot of baking and I use canned pumpkin (not the pre-seasoned pie filling). I like to try new pumpkin or pumpkin-spice things that I see pop up in stores. I thought pumpkin spice Cheerios were gross, but pumpkin spice Life cereal was yummy!

I buy butternut squash (which I never knew was called pumpkin in other parts of the world) already cubed, either fresh or frozen, and roast it for a side. I've never bought a whole butternut squash because I'm intimidated by it, lol.

I also buy one or two orange 'Halloween' pumpkins to decorate my front porch with each year. I used to carve them with my family but I've lost interest in that mess.

@paperpudding these are examples of foods that have pumpkin spice but no pumpkin-the-squash.