Libbys pumpkin in a tin...I know I know this has been done a million times

We don't seem to have Waitrose up in Leeds so I had to get my tins from Skyco. I'm

It should be coming in the next couple of years to Leeds.

Carolyn says there's a Waitrose in Leeds... but it may not be near you.

Carolyn says there's a Waitrose in Leeds... but it may not be near you.

Theres one in Otley but that's like an hour bus ride away. It's not a problem. I've lived this long without Waitrose... I can wait a bit longer.

We don't have Waitrose in Northern Ireland, and I've been craving pumpkin everything. So last weekend I bought a pumpkin at Co-op for £1.49, chopped it into quarters and threw it in the oven for an hour. When it was nice and tender I pureed it and plopped the puree into a metal strainer over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge overnight. Easy peasy! And I got two cans' worth of pumpkin out of it. I made some pumpkin muffins the other day that are FAB, and pumpkin oatmeal cookies are planned for tonight.

I've been thinking about doing that! Did you peel it, or just wash it and bake in the skin? Fresh pumpkin must be so much better!

Asda has HUGE pumpkins for £1...I went to my local one yesterday, but didn't buy a huge one.

here's another mail-order source if anyone's interested- http://www.americansweets.co.uk/libbys-solid-pack-100-natural-pumpkin-386-p.asp

I've been thinking about doing that! Did you peel it, or just wash it and bake in the skin? Fresh pumpkin must be so much better!

I have made pies from fresh pumpkin and didn't think it made much of a difference at all, sadly.  I did take forever and I was annoyed at the straining.  I think it is one of the few cases where fresh doesn't make sense, for me anyway.

I've been thinking about doing that! Did you peel it, or just wash it and bake in the skin? Fresh pumpkin must be so much better!

No peeling. I washed it, cut it in half, scraped out the seeds and innards, and cut each piece in half again. Then I plopped them in a pan, skin side down, and baked. I've also cooked them in halves, cut side down, but this time I wanted it to dry out a bit. (I don't know if it made a difference, though.) When it's cooked it's really easy to scoop off the peel.

I don't know that it's that much better, honestly, but for me it was cheaper and easier than hunting down cans.

I've been thinking about doing that! Did you peel it, or just wash it and bake in the skin? Fresh pumpkin must be so much better!

If you have the smallish sugar pumpkins you can cook them in the microwave too- you can cook them whole in the microwave, just pierce with a fork all over, plop into a safe dish and cook- 10-15 minutes so much easier to remove the pulp and everything when its already cooked! If they're bigger, just cut in half, take out the seeds, pierce again, and cook- depending on the size 10-15 minutes, then you can scoop out the flesh easily. 

I made pumpkin pie yesterday. I bought a pumpkin about the size of a cantaloupe (99p in Tesco). I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, sliced it, cut off the skin, and steamed it. Then it was basically puree already. I should have strained it but I wanted to make that pie darnit, so I did, and just added a little less liquid. It came out absolutely fine! Tastes lovely! Not good enough to justify the work as opposed to using a tin though. 

Theres one in Otley but that's like an hour bus ride away. It's not a problem. I've lived this long without Waitrose... I can wait a bit longer.

It may be coming to Meanwood around 2009.

I made pumpkin pie yesterday. I bought a pumpkin about the size of a cantaloupe (99p in Tesco). I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, sliced it, cut off the skin, and steamed it. Then it was basically puree already. I should have strained it but I wanted to make that pie darnit, so I did, and just added a little less liquid. It came out absolutely fine! Tastes lovely! Not good enough to justify the work as opposed to using a tin though. 

That is how I felt.  It might be different is you are using pumpkin for something other than baking though, like making ravioli.

It came out absolutely fine! Tastes lovely! Not good enough to justify the work as opposed to using a tin though. 

Funny that!  Last night Nigella made a chocolate sponge cake over pears and she used tinned pears.  She said they were much better for this recipe than fresh because fresh are usually too hard. 

I wonder why so many people have so much against canned foods?

I wonder why so many people have so much against canned foods?

Because they're not fresh! 

I totally agree on the tinned pumpkin, tastes just as great and cooking it is usually a bit- too much work for me.  But I have done it in the microwave before, so I was throwing that out there.
For fruit, I think it all depends on what you're making though whether or not canned or fresh is better.