October is Halloween month, and that means pumpkins are everywhere.
It’s not only jack-o’-lanterns sitting on front steps and window sills: Supermarket shelves and market stalls are also stacked with vibrant squash in various shapes and shades.
There are several hundred edible varieties of pumpkin, but in most Western supermarkets, butternut squash and Hokkaido pumpkin are the most common. Pumpkin is an incredibly versatile vegetable and lends itself to many more dishes than just the ordinary – though very delicious – soup.
Here are some of our favorite recipes, plus tips on how to best prepare different varieties.
Pumpkins can be divided into three different categories: Those used for their tasty pulp, like Hokkaido, for example, those where only the seeds are used to extract the dark green pumpkin seed oil, and those used for decoration – due to bitter substances they’re not suitable for cooking!
With edible pumpkins like Hokkaido, you can also use other components besides the pulp. Try filled blossoms, for example, best picked from your pumpkin patch. “You can cover them with pancake batter and fry them in a little oil,” recommends pumpkin farming specialist Daniela Gamb.
Make sure to only harvest the male flowers without ovaries – recognizable by the long stalk – as the female ones are supposed to become pumpkins.
The skin is usually only edible on summer squash. “Summer pumpkins, especially courgettes, are harvested before they’re ripe and still have a soft skin,” says Hans-Georg Levin from Germany’s Agricultural Information Centre (BZL). Therefore there’s no need to peel the vast majority of summer squash.
Winter squash, on the other hand, is harvested later, when the pumpkin has reached its mature stage. At that point, the skin will have hardened into a tough rind that is no longer edible. That is, except for the all-time favorite Hokkaido: Despite being a winter squash, its skin remains soft enough for consumption.
Meanwhile, besides oil production, roasted pumpkin seeds also make for a great snack. Instead of buying them at the supermarket, try using those left over after you make your next batch of pumpkin soup. When roasting them in a frying pan, you can also add some spices.
Many varieties, like Hokkaido, are quite rigid when raw, which makes chopping a little difficult.
Ute Ligges, who runs a pumpkin farm in western Germany, has a tip: ”Put it in the oven and pre-cook it a bit, that makes it soft and easier to cut. Ten minutes at 180 degrees Celsius is often enough.”
Next, place the pumpkin on a wooden board and cut it with a large, sharp knife.
Most pumpkins’ original taste is rather subtle, so adding a good portion of condiments, therefore, helps to spice things up a little – and don’t go too easy on your squash: pumpkins can take stronger spices and the hot stuff.
For a spicy dish, try adding ginger, chili, curry powder, garlic, paprika, onion, nutmeg and balsamic vinegar, for example, or a combination of some of the above.
If you’re preparing sweet pumpkin – and if you haven’t tried it, you should! – season with honey, cinnamon or fruit juices or add pineapple, apples or oranges, for example.
The classic of classics: Pumpkin soup
This is a dish that never gets old. Easy to prepare, pumpkin soup is a hearty dish perfect for fresh autumn days.
While many like to use Hokkaido, which has the advantage that you don’t need to peel it before cooking, Daniela Gamb prefers Butternut squash whose texture is a little more delicate. Hokkaido sometimes makes the soup a little mealy, she says.
Whichever variety you prefer, here’s what you need for four servings – or 2 liters (half a gallon) of soup:
500 grams of pumpkin pulp, 1 onion, 4 tbsp butter, 3/4 l vegetable stock, 1/8 l cream, 100 grams creme fraiche, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, two slices of toast.
Dice the pumpkin and fry in butter with the sliced onions until golden brown. Pour in the stock and cook for 15 minutes, then puree with a blender. Add the cream and crème fraîche and whisk the soup until frothy.
Season to taste with a little vinegar and spices.
Cut the toast into cubes and toast in butter. Garnish with the toasted bread cubes when serving.
If you’d like to experiment with the taste, try adding some further ingredients, like potatoes, carrots or an apple. Top off your finished soup with some pumpkin seed oil and some freshly chopped chives.
More savory pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin is an allrounder that doesn’t only make for a great soup but can be added to casseroles, fried or barbecued, for example.
If you want to try fried pumpkin, butternut is best, according to Gamb. “Cut it into thin slices and fry it in a pan or on the grill.” Lamb’s lettuce is a great side dish, topped with walnuts, goat cheese and a vinegar dressing.
Ute Ligges has a simple recipe for oven pumpkin. You’ll need two pumpkins, for example, Puccini's or Rolet, 2 tbsp of butter, salt and herbs, like thyme.
Halve the pumpkins and remove the seeds with a spoon. Fill with the butter and bake in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and herbs before serving.
Another option is to cut the vegetables into wedges and bake them at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenhiet) for about 20 minutes to make pumpkin fries. Season with salt and pepper after they’re crispy.
