整个秋天我都在等待这一天。具体来说,我一直在倒计时11月1日的到来。
You see, now that the money-grabbing fall holiday has passed, the money-grabbing winter holiday is steamrolling its plastic, glittery way into place. There’s no room for the two to share. Thus, anything fall-themed absolutely needs to be ousted from the big box stores and grocery stores ASAP.
And that, dear Reader, is my time to quietly harvest something precious: food for the winter.
All those huge, “decorative” pumpkins that were selling for $8 or more are suddenly worthless!
Well, to the stores, maybe, but not to me.
You see, once upon a time, these weird, warty, heavy-skinned pumpkins were far, far more than porch eye-candy. They were nutritious heirloom varieties of squash specifically developed by patient gardeners for centuries. But rather than being valued for mere aesthetics, they were developed with outstanding flavor, giant size, and long-storing qualities. Among the hundreds of varieties of heirloom squash, you’ll find lumpy, bumpy,green Hubbards, graceful-neckedCushaws, dusky-brownMusquee de Provence,retro-blue Jarrahdale, or multicoloredTurk’s Turban. All of them are full of fascinating histories and good eating. They may be labeled “clearance bulk pumpkin at $1 each.” But they are still food, just as they always have been.
对于那些想要储存过冬食物的家庭来说,你现在有一个巨大的机会,在这些有用的、被低估的南瓜最后被扔进垃圾箱之前拯救它们。我以24美元的价格带回了150多磅的长期储存食物。现在你还能在哪里找到这么贵的食物?
我激起你的兴趣了吗?继续读下去,学习如何参与到你自己伟大的南瓜拯救行动中来!
Are Those Pumpkins Edible?
Yes. Every pumpkin or squash was bred and developed to be food. If you’re unsure about that fact, bear with me for a few botanical paragraphs so I can explain why you can trust it.
I’ll start by asking you to please use discretion when you read about “pumpkin edibility” online. Most blogger-folks are not farmers or gardeners and don’t really know what they’re talking about. My first three hits on multiple search engines for “are decorative pumpkins edible?” all turned out to be factually incorrect in some way (mostly about mixing up gourds and squash, which I’ll explain below). I’m not trying to sound like a know-it-all. After all, I’m just another of many voices online, but I hope that I can give you the knowledge to understand, and therefore, mentally turn these squashes back into food rather than holiday decor items.
Online and in stores, the terms squash, pumpkin, and gourd are used recklessly and interchangeably, leading to confusion.
Squash
Squash is a big term that covers many species in theCucurbitagenus. This includes the four main squash families that are used for food in the United States:C. angyrosperma(sometimes calledC. mixta),C. pepo, C. moschata, andC. maxima. All of your summer and winter squashes are found in those families. The bulk pumpkins being sold right now are all technicallywinter squashes.
Pumpkins
Pumpkin is a nonspecific term that describes hundreds of varieties of squash fromC. pepo, C. moschata, andC. maxima.There is no pumpkin species, so the term is used however people want to use it.
Related Post:Growing Pumpkins
Gourds
“What about gourds?”, well, they’re complicated. The baggies of tiny, decorative gourds in stores now are either tiny squash from theC. pepospecies that’s potentially edible, or a true gourd (which is decidedly not). Hard-skinned gourds are a separate genus (Lagenarariaspecifically). Though a few varieties of true gourds are edible when young, they were traditionally developed for use as vessels, not food. Those being sold for table decorations are all mature, so any gourds in the mix are beyond edibility.
Decorative gourds from a farmers market may be larger than the ones at the big box supermarkets, so try to find out what they are before assuming they’re squash and blindly making a soup. If they are thin-fleshed and bitter, they’re gourds, and not edible.
所以,我希望这个解释能说清楚。在本文中,我将交替使用南瓜和南瓜这两个术语。
Storing and Using Your Rescued Pumpkins
First, it starts with finding unwanted squash at a grocery store. Usually, after October 31, they’re in a big bin near the front door or outside. If you get to harvest from a clearance bin, try to be discerning with which squash you select for storage. Any with their stems broken will deteriorate more quickly than their stem-intact counterparts. This isn’t to say they’re useless, however. Just plan on using any dented or stemless squashes first.
Now, rescuing that heaping batch of pumpkins only matters if you use them, of course. And part of that is storing them properly so they can last you the whole winter. Folks might mistakenly believe that pumpkins rot quickly — but that’s because their main experience is probably with carved pumpkins that are left on cold, wet autumn porches. There could be no worse storage situation.
Winter squash are, in truth, amazingly long keepers if given the proper environment. And thankfully, it’s easy to find. The ideal storage location for squash of any size is your kitchen (no root cellar needed). Warm, dry locations like that give squashes the best chance for long-term survival (until you eat them, that is).
I store my squash all over my kitchen and living room. They line the floor of the bookshelves, get tucked under benches and tables, and make impromptu “sculptures” around my kitchen island. It may seem like there’s less floor space, but it’s a small price to pay for having a huge supply of stable, winter food.
As you slowly eat them through the fall and winter, be sure to give your rescued pumpkins a weekly once-over. Though you may now value them as your food, they’ve been through a lot before they got to your kitchen. Earlier rough handling may have bruised them, and bruised areas start to rot if undetected. If you find any areas that look a bit darker than their surroundings, have wrinkles, squish a bit under pressure, or (worst of all) are leaking liquid, get that squash to the cutting board, pronto. Even if a bit has gone bad, you may be able to salvage the bulk of it.
If the bruised rot is isolated to a small area and hasn’t gotten to the seed-filled core, cut it out, throw it to your chickens, and enjoy the unblemished portions. But if the bruise has rendered the greater part of the pumpkin soft, slimy, smelly, moldy, or otherwise unappetizing, it’s a goner. Just be aware that if you compost it whole, you may end up with 300 pumpkin plants in your compost pile next spring.
Now, some of these heirloom pumpkins are big. Like, 15 pounds or bigger! Those are my favorite. I understand if the thought of figuring out how to cook all 15 pounds of squash in one meal is an overwhelming prospect, and storing that big hunk-a-pumpkin in the refrigerator is an annoying space-waster. Thankfully, you don’t have to do either. Pumpkins and squashes can happily sit on a counter for a few days while you hack off useful chunks. Granted, you’ll have to find a way to integrate pumpkin into your dishes while you have it sitting there, but as long as you use an opened pumpkin within a week of cracking it, you’ll likely not have to deal with a squash going bad.
On “opening” pumpkins by the way, you should know that some of these squash varieties are tough. Like, tougher-than-your-knives, tough. Hubbard squashes, for example, were once used as foodstuff on sailing ships since they were thick-skinned enough to put up with rough voyages without going bad.Ma Ingallshad to take a hatchet to her Hubbards to get at their sweet, orange flesh. And I can personally vouch, she knew what she was doing. If a squash is too difficult to cut with a knife — and many of them are — you’ll need to bring out your inner pioneer and take a hatchet to them, or drop them onto a hard, clean surface. Though it sounds and looks brutal, it’s actually a lot safer than trying to force a kitchen knife into an unyielding squash on the countertop. Give your neighbors a friendly wave after you’re done, and hope they won’t spread too much gossip about your driveway cucurbit carnage.
Finally, if you do get a little pumpkined-out midwinter, remember that pumpkins are fantastic livestock food. Chickens and goats will happily help themselves to whatever extra squash you share with them. They’re full of vitamins that winter rations often lack, and the seeds are a good support in keeping them worm-free. In fact, you might plan on extending your winter feed by keeping a boatload of squash on the side, just for them.
How to Cook Rescued Pumpkins
当我抢救出今年收藏的一部分南瓜时,我看到在我后面排队的女人好奇地查看我堆满南瓜的推车。我预料到她会说:“你到底要这些东西干什么?”几乎就在她说出口的时候。我每年都会被问到这个问题。
When I explained they were going into my winter larder, she shrugged. “So, you make a lot of pies or something? That’s … a lot of pies.”
I understand where this woman is coming from, but I’m not planning a pie fest (though some of these heirloom squashesdo make positively decadent pies). The truth is, squash is such an amazingly versatile ingredient that constraining it to pies is missing its true potential. These various squashes all have their own unique flavors and textures. Some are stringy, some are custard-like, some taste very mild, and others have an amazingly sweet taste. You’re playing squash roulette with flavor. So, if you go out to save pumpkins from a dumpster fate, I recommend you get as diverse a collection as you can to give yourself the best chance at a broad palette of squash flavors.
On our homestead, we feast on rescued pumpkins all winter. Here’s a short list of our favorite ways to work these into nearly every meal.
Roasted Pumpkin
Sliced, skinned, and roasted at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until nicely caramelized and fork-tender. Though the ubiquitous cinnamon-clove-nutmeg spice combination pairs nicely with many pumpkins, try using curry powder, garam masala,ras al hanout, sage, Chinese Five-Spice, or smoked paprika for a different flavor experiment.
Pumpkin Puree
Slice, skin, cube, and simmer pumpkin until soft. Separate pumpkin cubes from water, then blitz in a blender until smooth. You now have an easy-to-use pumpkin puree that is far fresher and tastier than the tinny-tasting canned stuff. I use tons of this puree to make pies, pumpkin breakfast bread, and pumpkin muffins.
Pumpkin Puree Drink
将半杯南瓜泥、一杯全脂牛奶和你选择的碎香料(肉桂、肉豆蔻和小豆蔻总是好的)混合在一起。暖暖的,甜甜的,薄薄的加了水(如果你想的话),你可以在火炉旁喝上一口。
Pumpkin Soup
做一个美味的南瓜汤。小火炖南瓜块,加入洋葱和大蒜。我们用姜、蒜、孜然、辣椒、姜黄、黑胡椒和肉桂调味,然后搅拌均匀。加入可选的奶油,并在上面加上昨天烤面包的酵母面包片,你就得到了一份内馅的自制大餐。
Think of pumpkin as a vegetable. You can cube or slice it, and add it to curries and stir-fries as well. Serve with a side of rice, and you’ll wish you’d rescued every forlorn pumpkin at the store.
Pumpkin Seeds
种子也是可以吃的!然而,根据品种的不同,有些可能太难嚼了。一旦你打开一个大南瓜,烤一些它的种子,看看你是否喜欢它们。
如果你用的南瓜确实需要一把斧头,你可能无法把它切成好看的块。没关系。简单地把它切成便于操作的薄片或大块,淋上油和盐,带着壳烤。如果能让你好受点,就像穴居人一样嘟囔。鸡皮会成为一个方便的小工具,鸡皮煮熟后通常会变成奶油质地,在上面涂上黄油,每次舀出一勺,非常美味。
Enjoy Your Rescued Pumpkins
所以,走出去,加入我的大南瓜拯救行动吧!在清仓大甩卖的垃圾桶里有成吨的食物,就等着有人来看看它们的美味价值。给它们一个更好的用途,而不是仅仅腐烂在你的前台阶的底部。让它们在厨房里发光吧。
Leonie Gittinssays
我住在澳大利亚的昆士兰,从小就吃煮土豆、南瓜和任何能吃到的肉。爸爸也曾经种过它们,作为家畜的饲料。2022欧洲杯葡萄牙vs德国
It wasn’t til I grew older that I discovered the joy of pumpkin scones (more moist and delicious than regular scones), pumpkin fruit cake and pumpkin soup.
I make the soup by simmering the pumpkin chunks with a small amount of water, chicken stock cubes and some fresh ginger. When the pumpkin is soft I blitz it with a stick blender and add a can of coconut milk. Any extra freezes well.
I add grated or thinly sliced raw pumpkin to soups and stews and it thickens everything a bit as it cooks. It adds nutrient too. If I have a lot of pumpkin I