Tuesday, November 27, 2012

What to Do with Your Miniature Pumpkin

In mid-October, I bought four cute miniature pumpkins from the farmer's market--one orange, one white, one white and orange striped, and one white and green striped. They served me well as Halloween decorations around the apartment, and then as Thanksgiving decorations. Now that Harvest Season celebrations are at a close and Solstice celebrations are nearing, I decided I'd had enough of orange. So, I popped these two pumpkins in the oven! And yes, they're edible. I kept the white and green ones raw and intact, since they're Christmas-y enough. 

First I cut of their tops and scooped out their seeds, just as if I was carving a Jack-O-Lantern. Then I put them on a foil-lined tray in the oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. In a non-closet-sized kitchen equipped with an oven of usual size, 45 minutes is probably more like it.

You'll know they're done when the skin is wrinkly and the sides give when you poke them. Here they are, topless.

And here's the delicious pumpkin flesh! I'll be honest, the little orange guy was way tastier than his striped buddy. The striped one tasted a bit metallic, so I ended up discarding it. The lesson here is: If your small pumpkin doesn't taste that great, don't eat it. But the orange one was delicious and super sweet.

Pumpkin skin.

I ate my Halloween decoration with a sprinkling of sea salt, a teaspoon or so of maple syrup, and a little cinnamon. And it was delicious.

2 comments:

  1. I have a huge Cinderella pumpkin that decorated my classroom. Now I have to decide how to eat it.

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  2. What a great idea! I have one that I didn't know what to do with. I didn't know it would be tastey. Ohhhh how I miss maple syrup and brown sugar, especially in the autumn!

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