Making Pumpkin Pie with an Actual Pumpkin

[Jeni78]

I've never made pumpkin pie before but I will be next week for TG. I would like to use "real" pumpkin, meaning not out of a can.

I'm hoping the real pumpkin might make me like it!

Any suggestions? Is there a big difference between canned pumpkin pie and "real" pumpkin pie?

 

[Wyogal]

'real" pumkin pie can be kinda stringy. Why not use canned pumpkin (NOT the pumkin pie filling in a can)? personally, I'm making a squash pie as there is an enzyme in pumpkin that my dad can't tolerate. (yes, I know that pumpkin is a type of squash, but there IS a difference!) I'll be using a squash, cook it, then put it through a food mill to make sure it is smooth and not fiberous.

 

[Jeni78]

Well, I've learned that real fruit in fruit pies makes all the difference so I thought maybe it would be the same for pumpkin.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I agree with Wyogal. Libby's Pumpkin Pie filling is different tasting than is Libby's Canned Pumpkin with the pumpkin pie recipe on the back label. And the recipe is a good one. If you still want to make your pie from scratch, then purchace pie pumpkins. They are smaller than jack-O-lantern pumpkins and have more natural sugar in them. The easiest way to prepare the pumpkin is to cut it in half, and remove the seeds. Cut into chunks and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Seperate the pumpkin meat from the skins and mash in a suitable bowl. Hit it with a hand blender, or put the pumpkin into your blender and blend until smooth.

You will need a little over 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin for a pie, a can of condensed milk, powdered ginger, nutmeg, cinamon, and cloves, along with sugar and salt.

The beauty of making your own filling is that you can adjust the spices and sugar to your liking.

Look up recipes on line. There are a host of them. Select one that appeals to you, and then dress it up according to your tastes and imagination.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Andy M.]

Canned pumpkin is nothing more than cooked pumpkin in a can. No extra stuff. Taste tests have shown that tasters cannot tell the difference.

Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not the best choice for pies. As mentioned in an earlier post, pie pumpkins are the best choice.

 

[velochic]

Canned pumpkin, (not pie filling) is probably the one canned item you can buy that actually tastes better than fresh. It is very uniform whereas pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin can be hit or miss. Canned pumpkin IS real pumpkin. I say this as someone who eschews almost anything processed.

If you really want to go fresh, plan to spend a few hours and more money than you would if you just bought a can of pureed pumpkin. You have to buy sugar pumpkins (the small ones, not jack-o'-lantern pumpkins). Quarter and clean them. Put them on a baking sheet and bake until done at about 350*F. That will be about 30 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Then you have to let them cool, scoop out the flesh and puree in a processor. The consistency can be very... um, inconsistent... because of the moisture content and how dehydrated they get in the oven.

I have only ever done this when I was living abroad in countries where I could find a pumpkin (or squash) and couldn't get the canned variety. The result was never as good as with canned pumpkin.

 

[Jeni78]

Okay, I have been officially talked out of doing the "real" pumpkin.

I appreciate all the advice. I'd rather not do all the extra work for a pie that might not work out.

So, I'll buy canned pumpkin and work on the recipe!

Any tips for this?

Thank you!

 

[Wyogal]

The Libby recipe is fabulous, I wouldn't change it.

 

[Andy M.]

The Libbys recipe has ground clove in it and I don't like clove so I use the recipe from the 'One Pie' brand of canned pumpkin.

 

[bakechef]

I agree with the others. I usually am not a fan of processed foods especially canned, but canned pumpkin is one of the better canned products out there, and since it contains just pumpkin and nothing else, I am OK with it.

I have gone the fresh pumpkin route and it wasn't worth the effort, I think that it is more about the recipe than anything else.

 

[bakechef]

The Libbys recipe has ground clove in it and I don't like clove so I use the recipe from the 'One Pie' brand of canned pumpkin.

I haven't seen "One Pie" pumpkin since I lived in Maine, that is all that my mom used when I was growing up, I don't even think that we had Libby's!

 

[Andy M.]

I haven't seen "One Pie" pumpkin since I lived in Maine, that is all that my mom used when I was growing up, I don't even think that we had Libby's!

It's still fairly common around here. It's as good as any other brand.

 

[Constance]

The Libby recipe is fabulous, I wouldn't change it.

Ditto.

 

[Dillbert]

it's a long story . . .

but in short, Libby pumpkin pie filling is not made from "pumpkin"

almost.

technically what pipples call "pumpkin" is a squash.
but for pies/taste etc there are better squash candidates to the purpose.
nor is Libby is some huge conspiracy to hide that fact.

see
LIBBY'S Pumpkin History - NESTLE VeryBestBaking.com

 

[Wyogal]

I guess I don't know what you mean, this is what was on the website:
"LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin is exactly that — with no additives or preservatives. We wouldn't want anything to interfere with our unique, delicious pumpkin flavor."
and like I said before, there IS a difference between other squash and pumpkin. I know because my dad gets deathly ill from pumpkin, but can have other squash. They are coming for Thanksgiving and if I were to make a PUMPKIN pie, he would get very, very ill. So I am using a butternut squash.
As far as their "pumpkin pie filling" most of us (if not all) were recommending the canned pumpkin, not the pie filling.

 

[Barbara L]

The Libby recipe is fabulous, I wouldn't change it.

That is the recipe I use as well.

Barbara

 

[bakechef]

I guess I don't know what you mean, this is what was on the website:
"LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin is exactly that — with no additives or preservatives. We wouldn't want anything to interfere with our unique, delicious pumpkin flavor."
and like I said before, there IS a difference between other squash and pumpkin. I know because my dad gets deathly ill from pumpkin, but can have other squash. They are coming for Thanksgiving and if I were to make a PUMPKIN pie, he would get very, very ill. So I am using a butternut squash.
As far as their "pumpkin pie filling" most of us (if not all) were recommending the canned pumpkin, not the pie filling.

I wasn't sure either what the point of that post was.

In New England the "One Pie" brand not only makes pumpkin, but canned squash as well, my mom would sometimes make squash pie with the pumpkin pie recipe, it would taste very very similar, just the color would be a bit more yellow than orange.

 

[Barbara L]

Also, if pumpkin doesn't agree with you, you can make a sweet potato pie. I find them to be similar in taste, but a little firmer.

Barbara

 

[Wyogal]

I thought about that, but we are already having sweet potatoes with the meal. Do you know of any good sweet potato pie recipes? I may make one later on during the holidays.

 

[babetoo]

it's a long story . . .

but in short, Libby pumpkin pie filling is not made from "pumpkin"

almost.

technically what pipples call "pumpkin" is a squash.
but for pies/taste etc there are better squash candidates to the purpose.
nor is Libby is some huge conspiracy to hide that fact.

see
LIBBY'S Pumpkin History - NESTLE VeryBestBaking.com

i am confused, you said pumpkin pie filling is not pumpkin, but their site say it is. enlighten me please