Q: Why are the little pumpkins called pie pumpkins? Is it because they are the size of a pie or are used for pies? Can’t the bigger pumpkins be used too? I thought pumpkin was pumpkin. How is a pie pumpkin cooked?
A: Pumpkin is pumpkin except for the moisture and sugar levels inside the fruit. Yes, pumpkins are fruit because they contain reproductive structures or seeds.
The smaller pumpkins are not just big pumpkins picked early. If they were, they would be green. They are genetically different, so they grow to a smaller size. The interior or flesh is a darker orange.
Pie pumpkins, also called sugar pumpkins, usually weigh 1 to 6 pounds. Their flesh is denser and sweeter that the bigger ones, which are called carving or jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. The biggies have a moister, softer interior with a bigger seed cavity, and the flesh tends to be stringier.
Pie pumpkins were chosen to work better for pumpkin pie for several reasons. Depending on size, you could get enough cooked pumpkin for one or two pies. For most recipes, you need two cups of cooked pumpkin. If you end up with more, the cooked pumpkin can be frozen for pumpkin bread or even served like squash.
The logical thing to do is to bake your pumpkin in advance of pie making and refrigerate or freeze it in two-cup amounts. If you are baking a big pumpkin, it will take longer because the flesh is softer and more water has to bake out.
Choose a pie pumpkin by looking and feeling it all over. You don’t want rots, spots or soft places. Ones with the stems on will store longer that without. Often, that’s where the decay happens first.
You can store the pumpkin indoors in a cool dark place for about two months until ready to bake. Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally, trying to make both parts the same size. Scoop out the seeds and strings. You can leave the stem on. Bake on a baking sheet with sides, in case excess liquid runs out.
Set the oven for 375 to 400 degrees. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the halves cut-side down. The pumpkin will be done in about an hour when amber liquid is oozing out the bottom and the pumpkin is soft to the touch. Cool and scoop out the interior. Put the cooked pumpkin through a food processor to ensure a smooth texture before making your pie.
Q: I have read that vegetables in the same family can share the same disease and insect problems because they are related. Can I find out which common vegetables are in the same family?
A: If you have a big garden with lots of vegetables, you can group your families together and then rotate that entire block of relatives to a distant part of the garden next year. Rotation is one way to lessen disease and insect problems.
Meet the families. Nightshade family – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes; cucurbit family – cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squash and gourds; legume family – all beans, peas, soybean and edamame; onion family – garlic, onion, leek, shallot and chives; beet root family – beets, spinach, chard and quinoa; and carrot family – carrots, celeriac, celery, fennel, parsley, parsnip, cilantro and dill.
The largest family is the cabbage family with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, collard, radish, turnip, parsnip and rutabaga.
If you have a small garden or only grow a few vegetables, you can just rotate your single family members as far away as possible the next growing season. It’s usually recommended that vegetables stay out of the same location for three years. This will not prevent disease or insect problems but it will lessen them.
Questions? MSU Extension Master Gardener Hotline is 888-678-3484. Gretchen Voyle is an MSU Extension Horticulture educator, retired.
