Cooking with Tammy Kelly: The Great Pumpkin Cooking Debate about Pumpkin, Fresh versus Canned
When the season turns to cooking all things pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, the continuous debate begins, fresh versus canned. Some local bakers swear by the convenience and consistency of canned, others prefer the natural sweetness and texture of fresh pumpkin. Both options have a set of advantages and disadvantages, but are they essentially the same?
When it comes to Nutrition, fresh pumpkin is higher in fiber and water content, making it a more filling and refreshing option. Fresh pumpkin is also richer in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Canned pumpkin often has a higher sugar and calorie content due to the preservatives and sweeteners. But no doubt about it, canned pumpkin is often more concentrated, and definitely more convenient!
When it comes to Cooking and Preparation, using canned pumpkin is simply open the can and use, using fresh pumpkin on the other hand takes much more preparation. To use fresh pumpkin, you must cook, mash and strain before using, making it a bit more time consuming. You will however reap the benefits of a fresher more flavorful product using fresh pumpkin.
Benefits of Canned Pumpkin
Convenience, easy to use and requires little to no preparation.
Consistency, canned pumpkin has a consistent flavor and texture, making your recipes turn out the same every time.
Long shelf life, canned pumpkin can be stored for up to 5 years.
Year round availability, fresh pumpkin is seasonal in the fall, canned is available year round.
Benefits of Fresh Pumpkin
Natural sweetness, fresh pumpkin has a natural sweetness that is often lost in the process of canning the pumpkin
Texture and versatility, fresh pumpkin is much more versatile, it can be mashed, roasted, or pureed, making it a good choice for sweet or savory dishes.
The bottom line, the choice comes down to your individual needs and priorities, both are delicious and rewarding!
Pumpkin Muffins, Healthy
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup rolled oats
¼ cup mini chocolate chips, optional
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease with oil.
Add pumpkin puree to a large bowl, along with applesauce, eggs, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk together well.
Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Whisk together again to incorporate everything.
Add the flour and rolled oats to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix, as this can result in dense muffins. If using, fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
Bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. If you have a kitchen thermometer, cook until the muffins have an internal temperature of 200℉. This will ensure they are cooked through, but not overcooked.
Allow them to cool in pan for 15 minutes before enjoying. Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in your freezer for up to a month.
Yields 12 muffins, each muffin contains; Calories 172, Carbohydrates 25g., Protein 4g., Fat 7g., Fiber 3g.
Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree
2 whole small pumpkins, ask your farmer, some varieties are better for cooking than others, 2 varieties are Sugar Pumpkin and Cinderella
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut your pumpkin in half. Using a spoon or scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. Reserve your seeds.
Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet, face down, either way works. Roast for about 45 minutes, until fork tender. They will be golden brown on the outside.
Peel off the pumpkin skin. Chunk up your pieces. If you have a processor or blender and mash, or use a hand masher. Pulse the pumpkin until it is smooth. Add water if it looks dry.
You can use once smooth, or you can freeze to use later. Puree can be frozen in single cup amounts in sealable bags or containers.
Roast the saved seeds; to roast you will need to let the seeds dry for several hours. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Once the seeds are nice and dry, drizzle with olive oil, using your fingers make sure all seeds are coated. Salt and season to taste, you can try all kinds of seasonings here, cinnamon, everything bagel, etc.
Spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for about an hour or until seeds are light golden brown. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Cake
(Adapted from a Pioneer Women recipes, and a BIG favorite among my friends)
For the Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1, 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
For the Frosting
2, 8-ounce packages cheese, softened
10 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pie spice, and salt, set aside.
In another large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil and beat with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating the with pumpkin puree in two batches, mixing between each addition until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter between the cake pans. Tap the pans on the counter8 to 10 times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove the cakes to a rack and let cool completely.
For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Build the finished product, if the tops of the cakes are domed, trim them with a long serrated knife to make them level. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Spread with about 2 cups of frosting. Place the second layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of cake. Enjoy!!!!
Chicken Chili with Pumpkin
1 ½ pounds chicken breast or thighs
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped, more for serving, if desired
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree or 1 can of store bought
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can green chiles
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup fresh cilantro, more for serving
Plain Greek yogurt for serving
Sliced avocado for serving
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a pot. Add the chicken and sauté for about 3-5 minutes then remove and set aside.
In the pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until softened.
Add the cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer.
Add the chicken stock, pumpkin puree, beans, and chilies. Shred the cooked chicken. Once shredded, add in the chicken, corn and cilantro. Stir to combine.
Add to a bowl to serve and top with sliced avocado, jalapeño, Greek yogurt, and cilantro. Enjoy!!
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