LOGAN – When the ghost and goblins are gone and the Jack-O-Lanterns are done for the year, unused pumpkins can be used to flavor all kinds of dishes and are not that hard to preserve.
Jenna Dychman, an assistant professor and dietitian for Utah State University Extension, said there are easy ways to preserve pumpkins and use them for flavoring different dishes.
“Pumpkin can be put it in soups, used in baking pies, bread and cookies,” she said. “You can put pumpkin in oatmeal or use it in stews with other ingredients.”
The easiest way to preserve pumpkins is to wash them off, cut it in half, scoop all the seeds and strings out using a spoon.
Pumpkins are an excellent source of nutrition and can add taste to meals and desserts.
USDA Agricultural Research said pumpkin seeds are a healthy source of fats, protein, fiber, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Wash the seeds then dry them; toss them in oil and spices; and, bake until golden brown. Or, you can dry them with an electric dehydrator until brittle.
Skin the pumpkin then cut into one-inch strips from top to bottom, then cut them into one-inch squares. At that point the cubes can be frozen or ground up with a food processor and then frozen.
“Canning pumpkin or pureed pumpkin is not recommended,” Dyckman said. “Freezing is the easiest way to preserve them.”
Pumpkins and squash shrink when cooked. The rind should be hard and should be stringless with mature pulp of ideal quality to be preserved. When cooking pumpkin cubes plan on shrinkage, 16 pounds of squash or pumpkin will cook down to 7 quarts.
Currently, there are no tested recipes for canning jams, jelly conserves or pumpkin-butter.
Pumpkin is a low acid vegetable and requires careful attention to preparation and processing. A high degree of attention to cleanliness and sanitation when preserving pumpkin. It is recommended that pumpkin is not left at room temperature for 2 hours.
It is also not recommended that cut up pumpkins or Jack-O-Lanterns be used for their meat due to bugs and spoilage that may have occurred while exposed to the outdoors. The used Jack-O-Lanterns can be cut down and used for bird feeders.
For more information on preserving pumpkins, go here.