I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?

My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
all.

I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!

Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
pie...think I'll go make one!

Judy

Judy Haffner wrote:
> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
> all.
>
> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!
>
> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
> pie...think I'll go make one!
>
> Judy
>


I've tried it with fresh pumpkin, and it was too light-colored and
mild., and not as smooth. Canned is better, but it has to be just
pumpkin and not ready-made pie filling. The "canned taste" goes away
when you cook it.

Bob

"Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
> all.
>
> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!
>
> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
> pie...think I'll go make one!
>
> Judy

No. Not better. Especially since most of the people I know seem to think
you can just as easily use a carving pumpkin for pie. I did make one from a
real pumpkin some many years ago. It was not any better than one using
canned. Never did that again.

On 29/10/2012 4:03 PM, Judy Haffner wrote:
>
> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
> all.
>
> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!
>
> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
> pie...think I'll go make one!
>


I made a few pumpkin pies from scratch using real pumpkin. I liked them
but my wife objected to the texture. It was admittedly stringy. Maybe if
I had put it through a blender it would have been more acceptable to
her. It is a lot of work to prepare the pumpkin and since the results
were questionable to some people, I don't bother any more. I just open a
can of pumpkin and add that.

My SiL makes a pumpkin chiffon pie, basically layers of pumpkin and
whipped cream. It's pretty good but she recently decided not to bother
any more. It is a lot of work to make it because you gave to do it in
stages, letting each layer set before adding the next. She noticed that
whenever she brought it to a function where there were also apple pies
and regular pumpkin pies there was always more of her pie leftover than
others. Since I am lactose intolerant and am not supposed to eat
whipped cream, I had an excuse. It was good, but I jsut could not eat
much of it.

(Judy Haffner) wrote:

>
>I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
>using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>

I either use canned pumpkin or [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
When I grew pie pumpkins they were sweet and dark enough for my
tastes, but I haven't grown them in years.

>My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
>and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
>Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
>color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
>the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
>seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
>all.
>

+1 on that-- I'll mix my own 'pumpkin pie spices', thank you.

>I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
>I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
>don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
>mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
>real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!
>

I can go for a little homemade vanilla ice cream- and grate a nutmeg
over the plate.

JIm

On 29/10/2012 6:15 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

> I either use canned pumpkin or [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
> When I grew pie pumpkins they were sweet and dark enough for my
> tastes, but I haven't grown them in years.
>

The only pumpkins I grow are accidental. My wife always gets a few
pumpkins for fall decorations. I take them out to the compost bin and
almost always end up with with a few plants growing wild.

On 29-Oct-2012, (Judy Haffner) wrote:

> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?

I don't care for pumpkin pie, so can't say from experience - I never eat
the stuff. But, Mark Bittman had an article on the subject in last
week's NYTimes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/ma...?smid=pl-share
or, in shortened form
http://tinyurl.com/BittmanOnPumpkinPie
--

Change Cujo to Juno in email address.

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:55:29 GMT, "l not -l" > wrote:

>
>On 29-Oct-2012, (Judy Haffner) wrote:
>
>> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
>> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
>I don't care for pumpkin pie, so can't say from experience - I never eat
>the stuff. But, Mark Bittman had an article on the subject in last
>week's NYTimes.
>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/ma...?smid=pl-share
>or, in shortened form
>http://tinyurl.com/BittmanOnPumpkinPie

+1 on the comment there that points out;
pperly Boulder, CO
"..Good grief, all that peeling & cubing, what a lot of work... much
easier, and tastier, to bake the pumpkin whole if it's not too big,
then the flesh will be caramelized, and scoop easily from the rind.
Large pumpkins can be baked in pieces as any other winter squash."

Jim

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:35:59 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 29/10/2012 6:15 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
>> I either use canned pumpkin or [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
>> When I grew pie pumpkins they were sweet and dark enough for my
>> tastes, but I haven't grown them in years.
>>
>
>The only pumpkins I grow are accidental. My wife always gets a few
>pumpkins for fall decorations. I take them out to the compost bin and
>almost always end up with with a few plants growing wild.

I've heard pumpkins being considered a garbage vegetable.

John Kuthe...

Bob wrote:

>I've tried it with fresh pumpkin, and it
> was too light-colored and mild., and not
> as smooth. Canned is better, but it has
> to be just pumpkin and not ready-made
> pie filling. The "canned taste" goes away
> when you cook it.

I've never bothered to use fresh pumpkin, as just seems like a lot of
work, and I still think the canned is every bit as good. After adding
the milk, spices, sugar, eggs, etc., it just tastes like a great pie. My
mother always claimed it tasted like a tin can....WHAT?! Maybe when she
was growing up, the materials they made the cans out of did have a
'funky' taste, but I have a excellent palate, and don't detect any sort
of odd taste.

Judy

Jim wrote:

>I either use canned pumpkin or
> [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
> When I grew pie pumpkins they were
> sweet and dark enough for my tastes,
> but I haven't grown them in years.

Squash pie is really good. My one grandma would make them, and I
couldn't tell the difference between it and pumpkin pie, and was
surprised when she told me what it was made out of.

>I can go for a little homemade vanilla ice
> cream- and grate a nutmeg over the
> plate.

I've had it with vanilla ice cream, but still think I prefer real
whipped cream, although I might change my mind if had homemade ice cream
to go with it! (yum!)

Judy

Dave wrote:

>The only pumpkins I grow are accidental.
> My wife always gets a few pumpkins for
> fall decorations. I take them out to the
> compost bin and almost always end up
> with with a few plants growing wild.

Pumpkins won't grow here, and I suppose it's cause the growing season is
too short, and maybe not warm enough, or too much rain perhaps? I'm not
sure what the ideal growing conditions are for pumpkins, as lots of
other things do well here (Alaska).

Judy

Dave Smith wrote:
> On 29/10/2012 4:03 PM, Judy Haffner wrote:
>>
>> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is
>> better
>> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>>
>> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our
>> holiday pies,
>> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
>> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture,
>> but the
>> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always
>> used
>> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it
>> doesn't
>> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie
>> mix at
>> all.
>>
>> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and
>> quite spicy.
>> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency,
>> and I
>> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
>> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big
>> spoonful of
>> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped
>> topping stuff!
>>
>> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the
>> right
>> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
>> pie...think I'll go make one!
>>
>
>
> I made a few pumpkin pies from scratch using real pumpkin. I liked
> them but my wife objected to the texture. It was admittedly
> stringy. Maybe if I had put it through a blender it would have
> been more acceptable to her. It is a lot of work to prepare the
> pumpkin and since the results were questionable to some people, I
> don't bother any more. I just open a can of pumpkin and add that.
>
> My SiL makes a pumpkin chiffon pie, basically layers of pumpkin
> and whipped cream. It's pretty good but she recently decided not
> to bother any more. It is a lot of work to make it because you
> gave to do it in stages, letting each layer set before adding the
> next. She noticed that whenever she brought it to a function where
> there were also apple pies and regular pumpkin pies there was
> always more of her pie leftover than others. Since I am lactose
> intolerant and am not supposed to eat whipped cream, I had an
> excuse. It was good, but I jsut could not eat much of it.
>
>
We always have pumpkin chiffon pie, and I eye every recipe that I
see for it. I don't think I have ever noticed one for a layered
pumpkin chiffon pie. Given that we think pumpkin chiffon is the
"Cadillac of pumpkin pies" (hmmm, that is rather dated, I guess),
I find it odd that her pie seems not to be a favorite. I suppose
it wouldn't bother me, because it would be all the more for me.
(I either need to figure out a good LC crust or that attitude
won't apply now.)

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:35:59 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 29/10/2012 6:15 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
>> I either use canned pumpkin or [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
>> When I grew pie pumpkins they were sweet and dark enough for my
>> tastes, but I haven't grown them in years.
>>
>
>The only pumpkins I grow are accidental. My wife always gets a few
>pumpkins for fall decorations. I take them out to the compost bin and
>almost always end up with with a few plants growing wild.

I haven't planted pumpkins in years and years-- But one sprouted this
spring near the compost pile. I suspect it came from a squash from
the Asian supermarket. I was hoping for a Hubbard or a big Asian
squash--I got eight 30-40 lb Jack-o-lantern pumpkins instead.

I sent the biggest ones to a friend to carve into Pugs. I'm torn on
whether it is worth the effort to get the seeds out of the others- or
if I'll just let them be pretty until they aren't any more.

Jim

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:42:58 -0800, (Judy Haffner)
wrote:

>
>Dave wrote:
>
>>The only pumpkins I grow are accidental.
>> My wife always gets a few pumpkins for
>> fall decorations. I take them out to the
>> compost bin and almost always end up
>> with with a few plants growing wild.
>
>Pumpkins won't grow here, and I suppose it's cause the growing season is
>too short, and maybe not warm enough, or too much rain perhaps? I'm not
>sure what the ideal growing conditions are for pumpkins, as lots of
>other things do well here (Alaska).
>

Alaska is a big state- Pumpkins do ok in Anchorage and Nikiski,
apparently-<g>
http://www.adn.com/2011/08/31/204239...qualified.html

Jim

I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy. I
don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I don't
care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with mincemeat, etc. I
just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of real whipped cream
on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!

-

I go to sisters yesterday. She made pumpkin pies, from pumpkin. Was not
rich, sweet, creamy. More texture, more flavors. Pretty good treat. Still
working on one brought home. Pumpkin pie seems hard to digest for me.

I grab dried flavored nut from dish at her place. Pumpkin seeds, would have
never guessed.

She said it was easy to make, and pumpkin went a long way.
Before the end of the night I'm going to the fridge and take a swig of
canned whipped cream.

Greg

On 10/29/2012 5:39 PM, Judy Haffner wrote:
>
> Jim wrote:
>
>> I either use canned pumpkin or
>> [sometimes] fresh butternut squash.
>> When I grew pie pumpkins they were
>> sweet and dark enough for my tastes,
>> but I haven't grown them in years.
>
> Squash pie is really good. My one grandma would make them, and I
> couldn't tell the difference between it and pumpkin pie, and was
> surprised when she told me what it was made out of.
>


When I was a kid we always had mince, pumpkin and squash pies from a
terrific local bakery. The pumpkin and squash tasted pretty much the
same but various relatives claimed a preference for one or the other.

The main difference was color. The pumpkin was a bit more orange-tan
while the squash was tan to light brown, kind of like a camel-colored
wool sweater.

gloria p

Zombie wrote:

>You will NEVER KNOW the difference
> until you try.

>Trust me, it IS worth the effort.

Oh, but I have, as I grew up eating my mother's pie made only with fresh
pumpkin, and honestly didn't see that much of a difference, except for
the color, and the texture was slightly different. I'll stick with good
ol' Libby's, as is a lot less work and tastes great to me. :-)

Judy

On 29/10/2012 8:58 PM, Judy Haffner wrote:
>
> Zombie wrote:
>
>> You will NEVER KNOW the difference
>> until you try.
>
>> Trust me, it IS worth the effort.
>
> Oh, but I have, as I grew up eating my mother's pie made only with fresh
> pumpkin, and honestly didn't see that much of a difference, except for
> the color, and the texture was slightly different. I'll stick with good
> ol' Libby's, as is a lot less work and tastes great to me. :-)
>


I love good pies and am reluctant to any type of canned or prepared
filling.....except pumpkin. It's just processed squash and once you add
the milk, eggs, sugar and spices any difference is insignificant. IMO.

>
Well, this isn't adding anything to the pumpkin pie subject but my
favorite is pumpkin roll. It uses the canned pumpkin being used here
in this discussion for pies. I'll go sit in the corner now.

This time of year I make one every 3wks or so. I buy the "extra creamy"
Cool Whip but when I run out I have been known to simply pour a little
cream on top of a slice. I have tried the off brands and found
coloration differences in the pumpkin plus noticed a difference in the
metal quality of the can when opening it-lots of "peelings" from the
metal for cheaper brands. I definitely prefer to buy Libby's.

I like the pie well-baked with lots of fine cracks on top-I rarely like
someone else's pumpkin pie, between the spice variations and the
underbaked mushy centers-some people's look like what's in baby's
diaper...

Our SuperWalmart this year I noticed had superior pumpkins for
Halloween-they were perfectly shaped and all were a uniform size which
left me wondering about how they were farmed.

Ever since substituting chinese 5-spice powder in a pie I have been
using it ever since.

Best layered recipe-stunningly beautiful when sliced-is pie crust (I use
springform pan to achieve higher sides), thin layer of chopped black
walnuts pressed down slightly into crust, plain white cheesecake batter
(I leave out the raisins the recipe called for) spooned over the nuts,
then the lighter weight normal pumpkin pie batter is gently layered over
the cheesecake batter. Baked and cooled. Top with a whip cream
layer-using back of spoon to lift into peaks, and then dust the top with
black walnut dust.

Next time I want to experiment with the bottom nut layer and add either
just a few choc chips or caramel chips to it. Smuckers squirt bottle of
caramel ice cream topping might also be used to decorate the top.

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:03:48 -0800, (Judy Haffner)
wrote:

>
> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
> all.

I've cooked pumpkin pie from scratch and from a can. I don't care for
the pre-spiced mix either, but only because I think it's silly. As
far as the other two, yes I can tell the difference... but I don't
care. I like them both but opening a can is easier, so I do that most
of the time.
>
> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!

I have to work too hard to make the texture of a fresh pumpkin pie as
"solid" as it is when I use the canned stuff (which I prefer for
leftovers).
>
> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
> pie...think I'll go make one!
>
Recipe? You mean beyond the amount of cream/evaporated milk and eggs
called for on the can of Libby's? That's the benchmark for me.
Everything else is merely a suggestion.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> I love good pies and am reluctant to any type of canned or prepared
> filling.....except pumpkin. It's just processed squash and once you add
> the milk, eggs, sugar and spices any difference is insignificant. IMO.

I agree with you, Dave. I made it from scratch twice. Once from cutting
and boiling the fresh pumpkin, then once from baking and cutting. It was a
lot of work and the canned plain pumpkin tastes just as good without all the
extra work.

For the past several years, I've skipped pumpkin pies and have made sweet
potato pies. I can use fresh produce and the final pie tastes just as good
(and about the same) as a pumpkin pie.

Gary

z z wrote:
>
> This time of year I make one every 3wks or so. I buy the "extra creamy"
> Cool Whip

I haven't used real whipped cream in years. I really like the "extra creamy
Cool Whip." It's all I need.

Gary

On 2012-10-29, l not -l > wrote:

> I don't care for pumpkin pie, so can't say from experience - I never eat
> the stuff.

I'll eat it, but would much prefer a good sweet potato pie. The best
pumpkin pie I ever tasted was real baked pumpkin and it was sublime.
Of course the lady who made it was my buddy's mom, a Portuguese lady
from the old country, and could make tuna fish sandwiches taste
brilliant. As I was saying, give me a sweet potato pie every time. I
tried to make one, once. All my black buddies laughed their asses
off. When I asked why, they all replied it was cuz I'd used whole
sweet potatoes and everybody worth spit knows one never uses actual
sweet potatoes, but garnet yams. Who knew!?

Thanks fer the reminder, though. It's definetly pie season. I've
been ready to make a pecan pie for a week or so, but am waiting for a
lull in Mom Watch.

nb


--
Definition of objectivism:
"Eff you! I got mine."
http://www.nongmoproject.org/

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:55:29 GMT in rec.food.cooking, "l not -l"
> wrote,
>I don't care for pumpkin pie, so can't say from experience - I never eat
>the stuff. But, Mark Bittman had an article on the subject in last
>week's NYTimes.
>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/ma...?smid=pl-share
>or, in shortened form
>http://tinyurl.com/BittmanOnPumpkinPie

There is no pumpkin pie in the Bittman article.

On 10/30/2012 6:23 AM, Gary wrote:


> For the past several years, I've skipped pumpkin pies and have made sweet
> potato pies. I can use fresh produce and the final pie tastes just as good
> (and about the same) as a pumpkin pie.
>
> Gary

Sweet potato pies have been a family favorite for several generations.
When my children were very young, they thought they were pumpkin pies,
and I did not tell them differently. They learned soon enough.

Before Halloween, the kids would carve jack-o-lanterns, and they would
clean the seeds, then I would prepare them for roasting. They loved them
enough to go to the trouble, and I enjoy them, myself. Pepitas in Mexico
are cheap, I should buy some the next time we go.

Becca

sf wrote:

>Recipe? You mean beyond the amount
> of cream/evaporated milk and eggs
> called for on the can of Libby's? That's
> the benchmark for me. Everything else
> is merely a suggestion.

No, I've never used that recipe on the can of pumpkin. The measurements
I use are different, except for the amount of ground ginger. That
mixture isn't "spicy" enough or "custardy" enough for me.

For a 10" pie, I use 2 cups cooked pumpkin (a 15 oz. can will work) but
if I have a big can, I'll measure out 2 cups from that.

Add: 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
Plus lots of generous dashes of pumpkin pie spice
Scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup evaporated milk
4 beaten eggs

I do use the same baking directions as on the can..baking until a knife
in the center, comes out clean.

Judy

notbob wrote:

>It's definetly pie season. I've been ready
> to make a pecan pie for a week or so,
> but am waiting for a lull in Mom Watch.

Mmmmmmmm...I also love a good pecan pie, and usually make at least one
during the holidays, although it isn't a family favorite, as they will
pass it up for pumpkin, apple and banana cream.

I always use "Dear Abby's" pecan pie recipe....it's generous with the
pecans, and the more the better, AFAIC.

Judy

Jim wrote:

>Alaska is a big state- * Pumpkins do ok
> in Anchorage and Nikiski,
>apparently-<g>

Yes, indeed is certainly IS a big state! I didn't know they could grow
pumpkins up north, but have heard of HUGE veggies grown in the Matanuska
Valley, and it must be the soil up that way, but up north they have
warmer temperatures in the summer than we do down here on the panhandle
of the state. We get a lot of rain and have a shorter growing season.
Some things do well in a greenhouse, such as tomatoes, which need one in
order to do well here.

>http://www.adn.com/2011/08/31/2042397
>/1723-pound-pumpkin-disqualified.html

Judy

Judy Haffner wrote:
>
> sf wrote:
>
>> Recipe? You mean beyond the amount
>> of cream/evaporated milk and eggs
>> called for on the can of Libby's? That's
>> the benchmark for me. Everything else
>> is merely a suggestion.
>
> No, I've never used that recipe on the can of pumpkin. The measurements
> I use are different, except for the amount of ground ginger. That
> mixture isn't "spicy" enough or "custardy" enough for me.
>
> For a 10" pie, I use 2 cups cooked pumpkin (a 15 oz. can will work) but
> if I have a big can, I'll measure out 2 cups from that.
>
> Add: 1/2 cup brown sugar
> 1/2 cup granulated sugar
> 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
> 1/2 tsp. ginger
> 2 tsp. cinnamon
> Plus lots of generous dashes of pumpkin pie spice
> Scant 1/2 tsp. salt
> 1 cup evaporated milk
> 4 beaten eggs
>
> I do use the same baking directions as on the can..baking until a knife
> in the center, comes out clean.
>
> Judy
>

Interesting that you are using the individual spices PLUS the
mixed spieces. I started doing that... I was going to say 10 or
so years ago, but it is more like 20 (how time flies!). IMO, it
adds a certain mellowness to the mixture. I also started adding
some pepper. As I have said, our preferred pumpkin pie is a
pumpkin chiffon pie, done in a graham cracker crust with LOTS of
cinnamon, and topped with very slightly sweetened whipped cream
and candied ginger.

As for normal pumpkin pie, here is a post that I made in 2004:

Here is my favorite recipe for a NORMAL pumpkin pie. (I usually
prefer pumpkin chiffon pie, but I don't know that that qualifies
here.) Gene Burns was a talk radio personality in Boston for
years before he defected. (I still miss him!)

Gene Burns' Dark and Spicy Pumpkin Pie

Filling:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (I use 1 can, now 15 oz, I think*)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup maple syrup (dark grade!!!!)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I actually prefer the store-bought
version for this, specifically, McCormick)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)

1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 450F.

Beat eggs slightly. Combine with all other ingredients for the
filling. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 450F for 10
minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350F and bake an additional 30-35
minutes or until a knife inserted midway between the center and
the edge of the pie comes out clean. Cool.

Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
****

End of that post. I have undoubtedly tinkered with the spicing
since then--and that would mean a general increase in the
spiciness level. I have undoubtedly added ginger to the mix too
and probably have this in my notes.

Getting back to the original question, I have never used fresh
pumpkin. If I were to do so, I would bake or roast it. I would
not boil it.

*Oh, also, a couple (possibly by now "a few") years ago, I started
adding sweet potato to make up for the missing oz (is it plural
now?) of pumpkin. I like that a lot. Before I did that, the
filling was not as flavorful. Adding that bit of sweet potato (be
it mashed cooked, canned, or even baby food) also makes the
texture more rich and silky.

Judy Haffner wrote:
> Mmmmmmmm...I also love a good pecan pie, and usually make at least one
> during the holidays, although it isn't a family favorite, as they will
> pass it up for pumpkin, apple and banana cream.
>
> I always use "Dear Abby's" pecan pie recipe....it's generous with the
> pecans, and the more the better, AFAIC.
>
> Judy
>
Most of the recipes are too sweet for me. Now I'd want to LC the
recipes, which seems doable to me.

On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 06:23:01 -0500, Gary > wrote:

> For the past several years, I've skipped pumpkin pies and have made sweet
> potato pies. I can use fresh produce and the final pie tastes just as good
> (and about the same) as a pumpkin pie.
>
I really do need to try making sweet potato pie someday. I've never
even tasted one, but glad to hear they're so similar to pumpkin.
What's this I read in another thread about using garnet sweet
potatoes? The recipes I see aren't that specific. I would use the
one that's pumpkin colored, not purplish.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Jean B. wrote:
>
> Most of the recipes are too sweet for me. Now I'd want to LC the
> recipes, which seems doable to me.

We have pumpkin custard baked in ramekin bowls these days, partly to not
use a wheat crust partly for lower carbs. Somewhat lower carb count by
using cream not milk, a bit of artifical sweetener. It still has
pumpkin which has some starch. Low"er" but not low.

Gary wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> I love good pies and am reluctant to any type of canned or prepared
>> filling.....except pumpkin. It's just processed squash and once you add
>> the milk, eggs, sugar and spices any difference is insignificant. IMO.
>
> I agree with you, Dave. I made it from scratch twice. Once from cutting
> and boiling the fresh pumpkin, then once from baking and cutting. It was a
> lot of work and the canned plain pumpkin tastes just as good without all the
> extra work.
>
> For the past several years, I've skipped pumpkin pies and have made sweet
> potato pies. I can use fresh produce and the final pie tastes just as good
> (and about the same) as a pumpkin pie.
>
> Gary


Do you bake or boil the sweet potatoes? I've had SP pie before and it's
OK but usually tastes a little "off" -- too starchy maybe (like boiled
sweet potatoes.)

I've never tried making it, but wonder if I could just substitute baked
and mashed SP's in my favorite pumpkin pie recipe?


Carrots also ought to work well in a mock-pumpkin pie, and would be a
lot easier than messing with fresh pumpkin

Bob

On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:51:55 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>
> Do you bake or boil the sweet potatoes? I've had SP pie before and it's
> OK but usually tastes a little "off" -- too starchy maybe (like boiled
> sweet potatoes.)
>
> I've never tried making it, but wonder if I could just substitute baked
> and mashed SP's in my favorite pumpkin pie recipe?
>
>
> Carrots also ought to work well in a mock-pumpkin pie, and would be a
> lot easier than messing with fresh pumpkin

This will be a good subthread because those are all great questions
that will probably have a lot to do with if I ever make SP pie a
second time!

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:51:55 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

> Do you bake or boil the sweet potatoes? I've had SP pie before and it's
> OK but usually tastes a little "off" -- too starchy maybe (like boiled
> sweet potatoes.)
>
> I've never tried making it, but wonder if I could just substitute baked
> and mashed SP's in my favorite pumpkin pie recipe?

I have substituted baked sweet potatoes for pumpkin in pie. I just baked
the sweet potatoes, mashed them, and added them in place of pumpkin in
the Libby's recipe.

Tara

On 10/30/2012 11:35 AM, Tara wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:51:55 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Do you bake or boil the sweet potatoes? I've had SP pie before and it's
>> OK but usually tastes a little "off" -- too starchy maybe (like boiled
>> sweet potatoes.)
>>
>> I've never tried making it, but wonder if I could just substitute baked
>> and mashed SP's in my favorite pumpkin pie recipe?
>
> I have substituted baked sweet potatoes for pumpkin in pie. I just baked
> the sweet potatoes, mashed them, and added them in place of pumpkin in
> the Libby's recipe.
>
> Tara
>

That sounds like a good idea. I hate messing around with pumpkins. I'd
just mash up a can of sweet potatoes though. Thanks.

On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:35:26 -0500, Tara >
wrote:

>On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:51:55 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Do you bake or boil the sweet potatoes? I've had SP pie before and it's
>> OK but usually tastes a little "off" -- too starchy maybe (like boiled
>> sweet potatoes.)
>>
>> I've never tried making it, but wonder if I could just substitute baked
>> and mashed SP's in my favorite pumpkin pie recipe?
>
>I have substituted baked sweet potatoes for pumpkin in pie. I just baked
>the sweet potatoes, mashed them, and added them in place of pumpkin in
>the Libby's recipe.

Libby's canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash.
http://www.slashfood.com/2005/10/24/...eally-pumpkin/

"Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm wondering if the majority of posters think pumpkin pie is better
> using cooked fresh pumpkin, instead of the canned pumpkin?
>
> My mother always cooked the fresh and prepared it for our holiday pies,
> and would never eat p. pie, if she knew it was made from canned.
> Personally I can't see any difference in the flavor, or texture, but the
> color is a little lighter made with fresh pumpkin. I have always used
> the Libby's brand, which has shrunk in size by 1 oz., but it doesn't
> seem to make any difference. I DON'T care for the pumpkin pie mix at
> all.
>
> I like pumpkin pie to be the texture of a thick custard and quite spicy.
> I don't care for bland pie with a soft and creamy consistency, and I
> don't care for pumpkin chiffon pie, or in layers, such as with
> mincemeat, etc. I just want a 'good' piece of pie with a big spoonful of
> real whipped cream on top and none of that frozen whipped topping stuff!
>
> Years ago I combined several recipes to come up with exactly the right
> taste that pleased my taste buds. Dang! now I'm hungry for pumpkin
> pie...think I'll go make one!
>

Canned turns out pretty good but fresh is really not so hard to make. A lot
of people use jack o'lantern pumpkins and regret it. You need to get the
small dense pumpkins grown to be eaten. I also like my pies with a lot of
spice but smooth and creamy is the texture I go for.

Love pumpin pie.