eating pumpkin

hey everybody!

I know that "halloween" pumpkins arent ideal for eating... but can I just cut off the top and eat it raw? or would that be super gross? 

Any simple recipes?

thanks!

I've tried it before. It doesn't taste too bad, actually, but thats my opinion.

And there are a lot of benefits to eating raw vegetables.

It tastes much better roasted or baked though. Or baked into a pie. :D

Raw pumpkin is NOT gross!  It's good tasting and good for your body!

Roasted pumpkin tastes awesome--sprinkle it with a Splenda/cinnamon mixture and it's like a dessert.  :)

ew? never tried that, but it sounds pretty gross.

then again, i do just mix cinnamon and sugar into canned pumpkin and eat it like that, so i guess it's not that different. (much better mixed with milk, though!) but when i think of raw pumpkin i think of slimy, stringy, etc.

the seeds are good, though! i always salt and roast mine after carving the pumpkin. 

In New Zealand we eat pumpkin as a vegetable.  You don't need to do much to it.  Cut off the hard rind, whack it into largish chunks, brush with a little olive oil and bake for 30-45 minutes.  I sometimes sprinkle on a little cajun seasoning to make a spicy winter vegetable treat.  It is so amazingly good--and good for you.

Ew... to me that sounds like eating raw potato. Some raw vegetables are ok, but some are not - and pumpkin is one of those! I'd imagine trying to digest that would be difficult.

I am also from NZ (not living there now) and eat pumpkin all the time, usually steamed, mashed or roasted, and always cooked!

Just cut off a sliver and taste it.  Sometimes raw vegetables will surprise you.  If you don't like the raw taste, just cook it.  Some that I've tried raw and liked - turnips (both white and yellow), zucchini, asparagus, peas - all very good.  Potato is an exception.  In my opinion it's way too starchy when raw or underdone.

Everybody seems to think that pumpkin needs to be sweetened.  It doesn't.  You can make a savory dish with it too. 

Check out last week's Recipe Blog!

Original Post by clairelaine:

Everybody seems to think that pumpkin needs to be sweetened.  It doesn't.  You can make a savory dish with it too. 

In New Zealand it's pretty much unheard of to sweeten pumpkin, everyone I know eats it as a savoury dish.

I use it for many things both sweet and not.  I've used cooked pumpkin in pancakes, muffins etc. but I've also just cut it up, peeled and cut into dice or fry like strips and roast either with sweet or savory seasonings.  ( I happen to prefer the sweet)

It can also be cooked down and used in soups and stews. It can go anywhere squash (winter) can,  or sweet potatos

My mom also used to just cut off the top and fill it with a stuffing like mixture and bake the whole thing (remove seeds duh!!).

Original Post by merylwhite1:

Original Post by clairelaine:

Everybody seems to think that pumpkin needs to be sweetened.  It doesn't.  You can make a savory dish with it too. 

In New Zealand it's pretty much unheard of to sweeten pumpkin, everyone I know eats it as a savoury dish.

 Same here in Australia.. pumpkin is only in soups and roasts with carrots and sweet potatoes.. hehe... but I'm always up for new things