Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and on this day the bird that completes your smorgasbord gets all of the attention. But what about all those other great dishes that we eat on Thanksgiving? Namely pumpkin pie. Why do we even eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving?
The origin of this famous Thanksgiving pastry dates back to when the European settlers first arrived on the scene in the New World and were introduced to the pumpkin by the native Americans. They realized the versatility of this fruit and thus started implementing it in a variety of dishes. During such experimentation with pumpkins, they turned to their English recipes and started substituting pumpkin in the pie for pulp used in other boiled fruits. It later evolved into an open-faced single crust pie shell filled with custard filling made with pumpkin puree and other ingredients. This particular type of pumpkin pie is the most common type we see today.
If you’re going to have a great pumpkin pie on the Thanksgiving table this year, then you will want the best ingredients possible. This can be easily achieved by using a fresh pumpkin in place of the canned pumpkin puree that so many normally use in their kitchen. Some say it’s difficult to tell the difference when it comes to using pumpkin puree and real pumpkin, but we all know its better to have the real deal.
The first step in making a pumpkin pie is to find a pumpkin that is small, sweet, and less grainy in texture than your typical jack-o-lantern type of pumpkin. Believe it or not, pumpkins are still in season. The pumpkins I’m speaking of are 8 inches in diameter.
Wash the outside of the pumpkin in cool or warm water without soap. Slice the pumpkin in half with a serrated knife and scrape out the stringy remains out and throw them away. You can actually use the seeds to roast for eating later on. Remove the stem and then put the pumpkin in a microwavable bowl. Put a couple of inches of water in the bowl, cover it, and put the bowl in the microwave.
You should cook the pumpkin for 15 minutes and periodically check it until it is soft. Make sure the pumpkin innards are soft enough to scrape out from the rind. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes. Use a large, smooth spoon to gently lift and scoop the cooked pumpkin from the skin.
Now it is time to puree your pumpkin. Make sure at this point your pumpkin innards have been placed in some sort of tub. Use a hand blender or mixer and mix it until it smooths evenly for two or three minutes.
