Pumpkin bread

Pumpkin bread

2 cups flour (I substitute some wheat flour and it still tastes great)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
3 large eggs
3 cups fresh pumpkin pulp puree

A healthy dash of the following (don't be stingy!):
cinnamon
nutmeg
baking soda
baking powder
salt
vanilla
ground cloves

Mix your ingredients together until smooth.  I love using my stone mini-loaf pan for the batter.  This recipe I believe made about 6 mini-loaves.  I am sure it would also bake up nice as a cake or in a normal loaf pan.  Bake at 325 degrees until the top feels firm (25 minutes?), but be careful to not overbake.  Enjoy!

Processing pumpkins!

This year, I wanted to try something new that has interested me for a long time - canning pumpkin!  Now, from what I have read, you technically cannot safely can pumpkin pulp.  But, I did find a recipe for pumpkin butter (dropped in jelly jars and refridgerated) and also pumpkin bread (which you can freeze).  I am all about easy, and I was a little nervous about the work it would take to process a whole pumpkin, but it turned out to be a cinch. 

Note: This post will have instructions for processing the pumpkin, the next couple will have recipes for the bread and butter.

Processing the Pumpkin

First, you need a young pumpkin, between 3-5 pounds.  It needs to still have its yellow-orange color and should not have the mature dark orange appearance.

Bake the whole pumpkin in the oven at least 90 minutes at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  I think I left mine in around 2 hours just to be safe, but 90 minutes should be fine as long as the pumpkin has a soft feel and has a deflated appearance.  Take the pumpkin out of the oven and allow it to cool.  I left mine in the refridgerator overnight (still on the aluminum foil - it will leak so put a plate under it or something to catch the liquid). 

Pop off the stalk and cut the pumpkin in half over a sink or something to catch the liquid because there will be alot. 

For each pumpkin half: Cut the small round portion where the stalk was and discard.  Use a spoon and scrape out the seeds and most of the stringy innards.  Use a sharp knife and skin the outside.  The skin is tough, so this takes some time!  The whole pumpkin, although soft, should still 'stick' together, making it easier to process the entire half of meat. 

Cube the cleaned pumpkin meat.  Put cubes into a food processor.  Puree until there are no lumps you can see and the consistency is smooth.  Now you are ready to add it to a pot for pumpkin butter or to batter for pumpkin bread!

Canning day

It is that time of year! The gardens have peaked, and now the refrigerator is bursting with food waiting to be processed.

As for me, I like to keep canning as simple as possible. Our family also freezes any food we are able to help cut down on the processing time jars take, and to utilize the deep freezer in our garage. But in each case food preparation should be your utmost concern for safety and preserved taste.

Today, I am tackling a batch of salsa. I love cooking from scratch, but when I do salsa I love the seasoning packs of Mrs. Wages you buy from the store. It may seem like cheating, but it's all natural and pre-measured so if you are missing a spice in your cupboard you are covered. I still enjoy seasoning to taste and adding more ingredients than just tomatoes, the packet just helps take some of the stresses away of figuring everything out.

A few things to remember if you are going to undertake a batch of salsa:

-Drain the tomatoes and double the number the recipe calls for. This will make your salsa thick and chunky.

-My favorite add-in flavor enhancers are paprika, salt, and a bit of olive oil.

-Use a food processor to finely blend bell peppers, onions, banana peppers, etc. and add to your salsa. I am not a fan of onions, but when I make salsa I always add a few for taste and to give the batch more body. Plus, the more vegetables you add, the more health benefits you get.

-Use a food processor to cut your tomatoes and leave the skins on for your salsa. Tomato skin is loaded with vitamins, plus it's easier to just leave it. When you cut the tomatoes, don't purée, just pulse the on switch to keep your fruit chunky.

Enjoy!