Gourdness Gracious! How to Cook a Pumpkin

Here’s how to clean and cook pumpkins in two different ways. Plus, if you’re cooking your own pumpkins, it’s just one more step to make homemade pumpkin purée! Enjoy the flavor and healthy goodness of fresh pumpkin!

Picking the Right Pumpkin

Before you get to cooking, it’s important to pick the right pumpkin for the job.

1. The “sugar pumpkin” or the “pie pumpkin” is the most popular cooking pumpkin. You’ll see these in the grocery store in the fall. They are smaller and more round than carving pumpkins. The flesh is sweeter and less stringy than a decorative carving pumpkin, too.
2. Another pumpkin that’s great for cooking is the Japanese pumpkin (Kabocha squash), which has a bright orange color. It is sweeter and more flavorful than the sugar pumpkin and has a fluffy texture. 

Note that all pumpkins are edible! The jack-o’-lantern pumpkins tend to be stringier, less sweet, and have a higher moisture content than the smaller sugar (pie) pumpkin, but they can still be cooked and eaten. 

Storing Pumpkins 

To store pumpkins that you’re not going to cook right away, keep them cool—just not quite as much as root crops. If you have a bedroom on the cooler side, stashing them under the bed works well (just don’t forget about them). A mudroom, garage, or basement will also work. They keep best at a temperature between 50° to 60ºF (10° to 16°C).

How to Cook a Pumpkin

Baking Pumpkin

Baking a pumpkin is as simple as cleaning it, cutting into chunks, and placing in the oven.

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF (163°C).
2. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt.
3. Cut off the stem, then cut the pumpkin in half (from top to bottom). Use a spoon to scrape out any fibers and seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon or an ice cream scoop work great for this. Clean and save the seeds for roasting, if you’d like.
4. Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller chunks, then place the pieces skin-side up in a baking dish with a lid.
5. Add water to cover the bottom of the baking dish, and cover tightly.
6. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin is fork-tender. The time could be more or less, depending on the size of your pieces, so keep an eye on them. If in doubt, cook longer.
7. Let it cool for 10 minutes, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.

Roasting Pumpkins

It’s even easier to roast a pumpkin at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, which brings out that caramelized taste. Here’s how:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF (204°C).
2. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt.
3. Cut off the stem, then cut the pumpkin in half (from top to bottom). Use a spoon to scrape out any fibers and seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon or an ice cream scoop work great for this. Clean and save the seeds for roasting, if you’d like.
4. Place the pumpkin cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake 35 to 50 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and nearly collapsing.
6. Let it cool for 10 minutes, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.

Making Fresh Pumpkin Purée

This step takes 5 minutes: Simply purée the cooked pumpkin chunks in a food processor until smooth! That’s it! Use your homemade pumpkin purée within a few days. Or, freeze it in giant freezer bags for later use.

(Note: If your purée is too dry, add water. If it’s too watery, strain it through cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer.)

There’s certainly no harm in using canned pumpkin; the main difference is texture. Homemade purée is lighter in texture and fresher. Canned pumpkin will taste predominantly of the spices added. We enjoy using homemade purée in soups, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin dip, and more.  

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t let those pumpkin seeds go to waste! They make a tasty snack when seasoned and roasted. Check out our roasted pumpkin seed recipe here.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

Not sure what to do with all that pumpkin? See our favorite pumpkin recipes!