There's nothing wrong with using canned pumpkin in a recipe, but as someone who works almost exclusively with fresh, I'll say that it makes a huge difference which kind of orange squash you use in your recipe."Pumpkin" isn't a singular species, but a generic name for anything vaguely round and orange-like, and some species are better than others for baking.
Most so-called "pumpkins" (aka Curcubita pepo) are terrible for eating, especially the classic jack-o-lantern types, which are bred for looks, not taste. The one exception are the pie pumpkins, which are generally smaller and rounder, and will generally have "pie" in their variety name ("New England Pie", "Sugar Pie", etc.) There's also "Winter Luxury", which is pumpkin shaped with white netted veins across the skin that makes for a gorgeous pie and is my favorite of the hard-skinned pepos for eating--deep, velvety and rich.
Canned "pumpkin" is actually Blue Hubbard squash (C. maxima), which is big, blue, and round with a hard shell. Just about all of the maximas are good for pie and baked goods--they are moist and dense and thick and rich and flavorful, without the stringiness inherent to the non-pie pepos, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, although very few are actually orange or pumpkin-shaped.
In my region, maximas don't do well, so I mostly grow C. moschata, which includes butternuts and "Seminole pumpkins" (like butternuts, but pumpkin-shaped) which are resistant to squash vine borers and most of the major squash diseases. There are a lot of different moschata types, some of which are better for pie than others, but they all have a generally good flavor and texture--different from the maximas, but still very good. I really like the "cheese pumpkins" ("Long Island Cheese"), which can get huge. I also like moschatas because if they're handled carefully and properly cured, they'll keep for a year or more at room temperature, so I generally spend the winter with squash draped over every possible surface as I gradually consume them over time.
I usually cut the squash into pieces, scoop out the seeds, roast it in the oven with the skin on until soft, then scrape the cooked flesh and freeze it in portioned chunks for later use. I don't think of it as that much work, but I've been doing it for so long it just feels normal now. I also cheat and make pumpkin custard a lot, so I don't have to bother with the crust.
I'm glad you've been enjoying your baking and good luck with your exams!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2021-11-13 10:25 pm (UTC)Most so-called "pumpkins" (aka Curcubita pepo) are terrible for eating, especially the classic jack-o-lantern types, which are bred for looks, not taste. The one exception are the pie pumpkins, which are generally smaller and rounder, and will generally have "pie" in their variety name ("New England Pie", "Sugar Pie", etc.) There's also "Winter Luxury", which is pumpkin shaped with white netted veins across the skin that makes for a gorgeous pie and is my favorite of the hard-skinned pepos for eating--deep, velvety and rich.
Canned "pumpkin" is actually Blue Hubbard squash (C. maxima), which is big, blue, and round with a hard shell. Just about all of the maximas are good for pie and baked goods--they are moist and dense and thick and rich and flavorful, without the stringiness inherent to the non-pie pepos, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, although very few are actually orange or pumpkin-shaped.
In my region, maximas don't do well, so I mostly grow C. moschata, which includes butternuts and "Seminole pumpkins" (like butternuts, but pumpkin-shaped) which are resistant to squash vine borers and most of the major squash diseases. There are a lot of different moschata types, some of which are better for pie than others, but they all have a generally good flavor and texture--different from the maximas, but still very good. I really like the "cheese pumpkins" ("Long Island Cheese"), which can get huge. I also like moschatas because if they're handled carefully and properly cured, they'll keep for a year or more at room temperature, so I generally spend the winter with squash draped over every possible surface as I gradually consume them over time.
I usually cut the squash into pieces, scoop out the seeds, roast it in the oven with the skin on until soft, then scrape the cooked flesh and freeze it in portioned chunks for later use. I don't think of it as that much work, but I've been doing it for so long it just feels normal now. I also cheat and make pumpkin custard a lot, so I don't have to bother with the crust.
I'm glad you've been enjoying your baking and good luck with your exams!