Save the Pumpkin Recipes

[MyAlbanianFood]

October was a big month for pumpkin recipes. With soup, pie and dessert recipes still dominating social media, magazine covers and even the supermarkets, it's hard not to get overloaded and think 'oh no, not another one!'

But, I am a fan and for a reason...

Did you know that due to pumpkin carving becoming more popular, there is around 18,000 tons of edible squash thrown away each year?

According to Hubbub who are leading the #PumpkinRescue campaign, that's 15 million pumpkins that are binned every Halloween - that's enough to make a bowl of pumpkin soup for everyone in Britain.

It would be great for everyone to submit their recipes and show how they are making their contribution to the campaign by eating pumpkin.

I will start the Chain....

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

Here is my recipe: Albanian Pumpkin Pie.

This Albanian Pumpkin Pie can be made in different ways, with different ingredients, methods and also has a variety of names.

To make it extra special you can use any type of pumpkin for this recipe but the best to use are Butternut Squashes and full grown Pumpkins.

Albanian Pumpkin Pie | Pite me Kungull | Byrek me Kungull

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

Albanian Pumpkin Pie

This Albanian Pumpkin Pie can be made in different ways, with different ingredients, methods and also has a variety of names.

What make this pumpkin recipe a little bit special is that you can use any type of pumpkin, the best to use are Butternut Squashes and full grown Pumpkins.

 

[dragnlaw]

Are pumpkins, as in Halloween style, a popular food item in Albanian cooking?

What is your favourite recipe with pumpkin? I bought two pumpkins for the grandkids to carve but two other smaller "sugar" pumpkins to cook with.

Plus, keep in mind, depending on how long the carved pumpkin has been sitting out with a light in it, mold and rot has usually set in. Not very appetizing to think about trying to cook it.

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

For some reason my recipe didn't post...!

They don't have full pumpkins but they do have squash and a lot of them! Pumpkin pie is very popular - a courgette is actually part of the pumpkin family so they use either courgette or squash for recipe and they both taste amazing!

The Albanian recipe works really well with the guts of a full pumpkin though so its a really adaptable one.

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

Oh, the idea of saving the pumpkins is the part you scoop out, instead of throwing it away bake with it - the shell (skin) will always be thrown away.

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[jennyema]

Oh, the idea of saving the pumpkins is the part you scoop out, instead of throwing it away bake with it - the shell (skin) will always be thrown away.

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You only scoop out the seeds. You leave the flesh intact.

Otherwise it wouldn't remain sturdy and intact after you carve it (would also be impossible to carve)

So the flesh being thrown out isn't edible. It's been sitting around, unrefigerated with a candle and goodness knows what else in it.

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

We've always scooped out the seeds and pumpkin leaving a inch think skin to carve into.

That's also what most carving websites recommend too.

Thats was hubbub are all about - see hubbub.org.uk.

There is enough scooped out to make recipes with but people throw it away so its all about encouraging people to cook with it.

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[Rocklobster]

I like it cut into cubes, dredged in flour and deep fried...

 

[dragnlaw]

We always save the seeds... the BEST!!!

washed, seasoned and toasted/roasted and yum!

 

[dragnlaw]

You scrape out to an inch thick? What kind of pumpkins are you talking about?

In North America we have many varieties. Some are not particularly good to eat, some are grown only for carving and some are even grown to make boats out of... wish I had a link for that. I have no idea what the unsold pumpkins become re-purposed for - probably fodder.

It sounds like you are talking about a variety that is very eatable. If so then I understand your concern. Over here most of the pumpkins destined for carving do not have a particularly thick skin like the sugar pie pumpkins.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking

In the United States, pumpkins intended for carving are bred to have very little flesh and lots of seeds. So it's not really worth keeping the innards for cooking.

Here's my pumpkin. The first pic is the insides I scooped out. The second pic is the inside of the pumpkin, which I carved Monday afternoon, clearly growing mold. The third pic better shows the thickness of the pumpkin walls after scooping out the seeds. So there really isn't much waste.

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

You scrape out to an inch thick? What kind of pumpkins are you talking about?

In North America we have many varieties. Some are not particularly good to eat, some are grown only for carving and some are even grown to make boats out of... wish I had a link for that. I have no idea what the unsold pumpkins become re-purposed for - probably fodder.

It sounds like you are talking about a variety that is very eatable. If so then I understand your concern. Over here most of the pumpkins destined for carving do not have a particularly thick skin like the sugar pie pumpkins.

Here in the UK our pumpkins are not made especially for carving - In America i know that curving is big, the UK has only just picked up on this tradition in a big way the last few years. Our pumpkins have seeds, strands and then pumpkin - all is editable. There is a big problem of waste here, and pumpkin waste has hit a big level - that maybe the difference, ours can be made into everything. Interesting how the same food can be so different in different places

I haven't tried much with seeds myself I really should!

 

[jennyema]

We've always scooped out the seeds and pumpkin leaving a inch think skin to carve into.

That's also what most carving websites recommend too.

Thats was hubbub are all about - see hubbub.org.uk.

There is enough scooped out to make recipes with but people throw it away so its all about encouraging people to cook with it.

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Never done that because it's unnecessary really.

I looked at some sites because you mentioned it and some do and some don't scrape off flesh ...

Anyway, the food waste problem (esp in the US) pales in comparison to thrown away Halloween pumpkin.

 

[Rocklobster]

Technically, I don't think you can call it food waste. Most pumpkins are grown for carving, not eating...sure, we eat a lot of pumpkin in our society, but, here in North America, if we only grew pumpkins based on the demand for food, we probably wouldn't grow 75% of them...We have a lot of fertile land so it is very inexpensive to grow things like this. I passed a waste bin outside of one grocery store yesterday and it was almost as big as a railway car..it was overflowing with pumpkins destined for the dump..

 

[dragnlaw]

Technically, I don't think you can call it food waste.

and it was almost as big as a railway car..it was overflowing with pumpkins destined for the dump..

Well I would call it a waste for sure... waste of time, effort, land, and probably more .... ... what a shame!

 

[Rocklobster]

Well I would call it a waste for sure... waste of time, effort, land, and probably more .... ... what a shame!

Maybe. I see what you are saying, but in reality, things are only worth what you can get for them. Somebody thinks it is worth growing, shipping and selling pumpkins, otherwise they wouldn't continue to do it year after year...If you grew other vegetables on that land, they may very well be wasted also. Problem is, we have an overabundance of food in this country. And, that really isn't a problem for us, as much as it is for the producer...

 

[Aunt Bea]

The sad truth is that if you handed most hungry Americans a pumpkin or a bushel basket filled with many other vegetables they wouldn't know what to do with it.

I hate to see food wasted but I would rather see the resources go into producing a real pumpkin as opposed to a plastic one.

I realize that my rant is not being helpful to the OP so here is a great way to use the small pie pumpkins or squash that often times serve as table decorations in the fall. Don't try this with a decorative gourd, make sure you are using an edible pumpkin or squash. This recipe is really only intended as a guide, use what you have on hand to make a great stuffing.

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Pumpkins Recipe | Taste of Home

 

[MyAlbanianFood]

Thanks everyone for the inputs - we will always have different thoughts and feelings on these subjects and its nice to hear them.

Remeber I really wanted to try and drum up some pumpkin recipes on here, real people real recipes rather then big company ones.

Thanks to everyone whos posted one so far - Look forward to seeing some more!

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[MyAlbanianFood]

The sad truth is that if you handed most hungry Americans a pumpkin or a bushel basket filled with many other vegetables they wouldn't know what to do with it.

I hate to see food wasted but I would rather see the resources go into producing a real pumpkin as opposed to a plastic one.

I realize that my rant is not being helpful to the OP so here is a great way to use the small pie pumpkins or squash that often times serve as table decorations in the fall. Don't try this with a decorative gourd, make sure you are using an edible pumpkin or squash. This recipe is really only intended as a guide, use what you have on hand to make a great stuffing.

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Pumpkins Recipe | Taste of Home

Wow great recipe, i've never really had a meat / pumpkin combo before. Thanks for sharing!

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