From Pumpkin to Pie

Pumpkin patches are where you search for the perfect pumpkin to carve. For me, it’s always the best spot to find the perfect pie pumpkin.

Pie pumpkins are a type of pumpkin that is made to become the perfect pumpkin pie. They are straight-up born to be pies. They taste sweeter than your regular Jack-O-Lantern and are smaller. But, don’t let their size fool you. Pie pumpkins are the chosen pumpkin for your pie filling.

Here’s what you’ll need for a 9-inch pie:

• 1 pie pumpkin to turn into 2 cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin
• 1 can of condensed milk (14 oz) or evaporated milk (12 oz)
• 1 cup of brown sugar (ONLY if you use the evaporated milk. If you choose to use the condensed milk, don’t add the sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 (9-inch) pie crust – I like to make or use a graham cracker based crust

Here’s what you’ll do

Take your pie pumpkin and half it – please be extremely careful when doing this as my noodle arms hate this part. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy parts (Tip – save the seeds to roast them!) Cut the pumpkin into 2-inch cubes (or by dimensions just small enough that you can easily put the cubes into the pot.)

In a saucepan over medium heat, boil about an inch of water. Put your pumpkin cubes in and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 30 min. Drain and let it cool. Remove the peel and return the pumpkin into the saucepan. Mash the pumpkin with a potato masher and there you have it! Fresh mashed pumpkin.

Now, for the fun part.

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Whisk together the pumpkin, condensed milk (or evaporated milk and brown sugar), spices, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Once it’s smooth, pour into your crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350F degrees and continue to bake for 40 minutes or until your knife comes out clean. Let it cool and serve with some homemade whipped cream.

Now, comes the best part. Eat a slice or two, I won’t judge!