Here is some instructions on how to cook them up. Then you can use them in your favorite recipes. They make great pies and the quick bread is nice too. You can also throw the cooked pumpkin in a freezer bag and freeze it for later use. Here goes:
Option #1: The Oven
Cut pumpkin open and scoop out the seeds. Place pumpkin halves facedown in a baking dish. Add 1/2" of water to pan: this helps keep the pumpkin flesh moist.
Bake at 450ยบ until you can pierce the skin with a fork (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Scoop flesh out of shell with a spoon.
Option #2: The Stovetop
Cut pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds. Then, cut pumpkin into large chunks, but leave the skin on.
Place chunks in a large steamer basket (or a colander placed inside a dutch oven, with water on the bottom). Steam for 20 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Scoop the flesh out of the shell with a spoon.
Once the pumpkin is cooked, simply use a food processor or blender to whip it into a pumpkin puree.
Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting!
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
Ingredients:
One medium sized pumpkin,
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Salt,
1 Tablespoon Olive oil.
Method:
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.
2 In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
3 Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.
