BACKYARD GARDENING MADE SIMPLE
Stovetop Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe
Now that you’ve grown some delicious pumpkins, harvested and cured them. What can you do with a sugar pumpkin besides make the classic pumpkin pie? Pumpkin puree is infinitely useful in baking, but for a simple recipe you can make on your stovetop, let's make some pumpkin oatmeal
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Nothing says fall quite as loudly as bright orange pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes give it a good try, but everything leads back to the pumpkin patch. Just about every fall activity – from hay rides to apple picking, cider donuts to corn mazes - includes the squash we call a pumpkin.
By decorating the steps of our houses and carving jack-o’-lanterns, we all pay homage to, as the Charlie Brown special puts it, The Great Pumpkin.
Indigenous peoples used a variety of squashes for eating and making utensils, containers, and musical instruments. In fact, the word squash comes from the Narragansett tribe in what is now called Rhode Island. Humans have eaten squash as far back as prehistoric times.
Are Pumpkins Fruit?
The short answer is yes.
Encyclopedia Britannica defines fruit as, “the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds.” So not only are pumpkins fruit, but so are avocados, peppers, and tomatoes, among others we call vegetables.
Fruits come from the parts of a plant that flower, while vegetables are the stems, roots, leaves, and bulbs of the plants themselves.
And get this – a pumpkin is technically a berry!
There is a difference between what we call things in common usage and how they’re defined in botany.
To most of us, a berry is a small, juicy, bright fruit without a stone or pit. In botany, however, a berry is a fleshy fruit developed by the ovary of one flower. Some of what we call berries do not meet that definition. For example, raspberries are formed by many ovaries, not one.
Botanically, pumpkins, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas, and grapes are all berries, while strawberries and blackberries are not berries at all.
When it comes to eating, though, the words berry, fruit, and vegetable have developed their own meanings, so unless you’re playing a trivia game or want to impress someone with your knowledge of botany, the common usages are just fine to use.
Why Grow Pumpkins?
I grow pumpkins for food and carving, but also for fun. One small seed produces a sprawling monster of a plant and then, at just the perfect time, there are pumpkins in my yard! Magic.
Growing pumpkins is a great project to do with kids, who generally find it as much fun as I do. Pumpkin plants grow easily and dependably, so are not likely to disappoint.
On a more practical note, every part of a pumpkin is edible, and it’s a source of food that can be stored throughout the winter’s lean times. Pumpkins are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium, and potassium.
Carving Pumpkins vs. Eating Pumpkins
Any pumpkin or gourd can be carved or eaten, but there are a couple of main differences between the pumpkins we carve and the pumpkins we eat.
The pumpkins we carve are referred to as field pumpkins. They have thinner skin and stringy, watery flesh.
The pumpkins we eat are called sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. They are generally smaller, have thicker skin, and are more consistently round. Their flesh is not fibrous or stringy, and they have more flesh overall than a carving pumpkin.
Carving pumpkins:
The difference in the types of flesh translates to a difference in flavor. Carving pumpkins generally taste bland and are a little bitter.
Because thin skin is an attribute in a carving pumpkin, when choosing a carving pumpkin pick it up and compare it to others of the same size. The lighter pumpkin will have thinner skin.
Eating Pumpkins:
Sugar pumpkins taste rich and buttery, much like a butternut squash. (In fact, you can use butternut squash to make a pumpkin pie!) Their texture is smooth.
Because they are fleshier, a single sugar pumpkin will yield about as much as a can of the pureed pumpkin you can get at the grocery store.
Varieties of Pumpkin
All pumpkins are squash. There are hard-skinned squash and tender squash, and pumpkins are hard-skinned; a hard-skinned squash is also called a gourd.
While all pumpkins are gourds, not all gourds are pumpkins. Those that are not pumpkins are still edible, but generally have little flesh, and what they do have is bitter, so we use them as ornaments.
When choosing which pumpkins to grow, if you are interested in keeping them throughout the winter months you should look for one that is known as a ‘good keeper’.
Another fun option to grow is a giant pumpkin. Those are the ones you see at county fairs, grown just to see how big you can get them.
Varieties of carving pumpkins:
Gold Fever pumpkins are round and medium orange and weigh from 15-18 pounds.
Gold Rush pumpkins are large, round, jack-o-lanterns that grow from 20-35 pounds.
Howden pumpkins are a classic jack-o’-lantern, slightly taller than they are wide, with dark orange skin. They can grow to between 18-26 pounds.
Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins are great for carving as well as cooking. They grow from 7-10 pounds.
One Too Many pumpkins are a great choice if you want something different from the usual orange pumpkin. They have white and red skin. They grow to about 20 pounds.
Tom Fox pumpkins are deep orange and have fat, dark green stems. They grow to between 12-24 pounds.
Varieties of sugar pumpkins:
New England Pie pumpkins are dark orange and grow to 4-6 pounds. They’re not as sweet as some pumpkins, but they are a classic for pies.
Sweet Sugar Pie pumpkins are very meaty, with dark orange skin. They grow to 6-8 pounds, and are delicious for pies and canning.
Cinderella pumpkins are a great one for kids, as the carriage in the Disney movie is based upon their shape. They are mild and sweet, and can be 15-35 pounds.
Blue doll pumpkins don’t look like your typical pumpkin on the outside, with greenish-blue skin. But inside the pumpkin is dark orange and delicious. They grow to 20-24 pounds.
Lakota pumpkins are pear-shaped, with some combination of orange and green skin, making them a great choice for decoration and eating. They are sweet, and taste like butternut squash. They grow to about 7 pounds.
Dickinson pumpkins are used to make the Libby’s canned pumpkin pie filling you find at the grocery store. They are beige, and weigh 10-40 pounds.
Varieties of giant pumpkin:
Atlantic Giant pumpkins have pinkish orange skin. They grow to at least 300 pounds. The largest grown was over 1,400 pounds!
Big Max pumpkins are oblong with skin in shades of orange to pale salmon. They can grow from 100-300 pounds.
Prizewinner pumpkins have the classic pumpkin color and shape, with glossy skin. They can grow to weigh between 100-300 pounds.
Wyatt’s Wonder pumpkins have intense orange skin which doesn’t fade. They grow to 200 pounds or more.
When to Grow Pumpkins
Pumpkins are generally planted from early May through June, depending on the variety. I usually end up planting in mid-June, here in zone 6.
How to Grow Pumpkins
Pumpkins grow on a sprawling vine which can take up quite a bit of space. Pumpkin seeds can be put directly into the ground.
Choose a sunny spot (fruits like sun) and form small mounds of soil 2-5 feet apart. Plant 3 seeds on each mound. Pumpkins are planted on mounds because the soil in a mound warms more quickly, which helps with germination.
I’ll be honest, though, I don’t bother with mounds. I just plant the seeds in the flat soil and haven’t had a problem with germination. That may be because I plant at the later end of the planting range.
Bury your seeds about as deep as the seed is long. Keep the soil moist until your pumpkin plants sprout.
Once the pumpkins form, you can slip a piece of cardboard under them so they are not in contact with the soil, making them less likely to rot.
As your pumpkins are coloring up, check to see if the bottom is also turning orange. If not, gently rotate the bottom side towards the sun.
When to Harvest Pumpkins
It’s best to leave pumpkins on the vine for as long as possible, but they should be harvested before overnight temperature in the 30s kick in. A frozen pumpkin will immediately rot.
When deciding if a pumpkin is ripe, first check the color. A small amount of green remaining is ok, but not too much.
Tap the pumpkin with your finger. It should feel solid and have a hollow sound. Just like watermelon and fresh baked loaves of bread, a hollow sound means it’s done. Next, push your fingernail into the skin. If it doesn’t puncture the skin, the pumpkin is ripe.
How to Harvest Pumpkins
The first thing to know is you should never carry a pumpkin by its stem. Instead, carry it from the bottom.
You may want to wear gloves when harvesting pumpkins, as the vines and stems are prickly. You can easily wipe the prickles off of the stem with a gloved hand.
Use Felcos or a sharp knife to harvest; the stem of a pumpkin is quite dense. Cut the pumpkin with a stem of at least 2 inches, as a longer stem extends the storage life of the pumpkin.
How to Store Pumpkins
To make a pumpkin last months, it should be cured before being stored. A pumpkin is cured by setting it in a hot, dry place. This allows the rind to harden.
Once your pumpkin is cured, it’s ready for storage. Store pumpkins in a cool, dark place with good airflow. The ideal temperature for storing pumpkins is 55 degrees. They should never be stored at 45 degrees or below.
Place the pumpkins on something that keeps them from touching the floor, and arrange them so they do not touch each other.
Stovetop pumpkin oatmeal recipe
Making pumpkin oatmeal on the stove is as simple as toasting your spice in your sauce pan, adding your sweetener, liquid and oats and simmering everything for about thirty minutes - until it is nice and soft. Then you can curl up with your warm bowl of cozy and enjoy all that fall has to offer this season! Find the full pumpkin oatmeal recipe below:
Stovetop Pumpkin Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (make this yourself by roasting your sugar pumpkin face down in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes, scooping out the flesh and blending or mashing with a fork)
- 4½ cups almond or coconut milk
- 1½ cups oats
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Craisins (optional)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over low heat, toast the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in brown sugar, then add pumpkin and stir to combine. Add milk, raise heat and bring mixture to a simmer.
- Stir in oats, and simmer over medium heat until tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in salt.
- Serve with raisins, applesauce, apples, pecans or maple syrup if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
713.65Fat
56.5Sat. Fat
48.56Carbs
52.66Fiber
5.42Net carbs
47.26Sugar
21.14Protein
9.87Sodium
478.25Cholesterol
0
