Tuesday Tip: Cooking with pumpkin

pumpkin It’s fall time and if you are anything like me, you’ll use basically any excuse you can find to add pumpkin to something.  Last fall I discovered that my love for pumpkin runs deep.  Pumpkin can be made sweet or it can be made savory.  It really is pretty much a blank canvas waiting for you to decide which direction it’s going to take.

I am constantly experimenting with pumpkin and finding new ways that I can use it in dishes.  I have learned that pumpkin can be pretty much added to anything to change the taste or texture.  Most recipes, even ones where you are baking something, are very forgiving and have plenty of room to play around and experiment.

I have also learned that pumpkin puree is very thick and will cause whatever you are adding it to, to thicken up as a result.

This means that you might have to add a bit more liquid to the mixture to get the consistency you are looking for.  For example, when I make oats in the morning, I normally use 3/4C of soymilk, but when I add pumpkin to create pumpkin oats, I have to bump the liquid up to 1C or just a touch more.

I have to do the same thing when making pumpkin pancakes or waffles.  Just yesterday I experimented with some pumpkin cornbread, and needed just a touch more liquid to that as well.

For those just starting the pumpkin journey and experimenting with it more, keep this in mind and don’t freak out if something ends up being too thick.  You can easily thin it out slowly by adding a little more of whatever liquid you are using in the recipe.  If I’m making like a sauce (think, pumpkin penne) I’ll slowly add the liquid in a 1/4C at a time.  If I’m baking something (muffins, pancakes), I will add in the liquid 1TBSP at a time.

Just remember to add it in slowly in small amounts until you acheive the desired consistency you’re looking for, then make a note in the recipe how much liquid you ended up using so you will have it available for next time!

10 thoughts on “Tuesday Tip: Cooking with pumpkin

    • You guys are silly! :p But I am talking about the canned stuff. Pumpkin puree is thick and tends to thicken things up. Should I specify that in the article? That’s just a stock pic of a pumpkin that I have. :D

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