Pumpkins: select~ store & puree

Yield: 1 Servings

Measure Ingredient

: ***** NONE *****

Selecting and storing: Pass on the jack-o'-lantern variety (too tough and stringy! ); for cooking, always choose a sugar pie pumpkin—a smaller, sweeter variety with a finer flesh. Select a crack- and soft-spot-free pumpkin with a rounded, dry stem. If the stem is blackened or moist, move on. Store in a cool dry place, uncut, for up to 1 month. If cut, wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 1 week. Buy canned. It's an excellent alternative; just as pure, equally nutritious, and so quick and easy! Enjoying: Here's the simplest way to prepare fresh pumpkin: Rinse, cut in half and scoop out seeds and stringy fibers. Place cut sides down in a baking pan with ¼ in. water. Bake at 350F about 45 min.

When cool, scoop out soft flesh and drain in a colander. Puree in a food processor, then drain again thoroughly. Use immediately or freeze up to 9 months in 1 c. containers for later use. (Even simpler, open a can!) Spice up the autumn air; get out your favorite pumpkin recipes, but reduce the fat: For pumpkin pie, use evaporated skim milk, not cream, and egg substitute instead of eggs, and buy a low-fat graham-cracker crust; for pumpkin bread, replace the oil with half as much prune puree and use egg substitute; or brew a warm, cozy pumpkin soup, using evaporated skim milk, not heavy cream! Slather pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) mixed with molasses (to taste) on a multigrain, nonfat toasted waffle for a nutritious breakfast, lunch or after-school snack.-by Mary Nagle with Teresa Yeykal Recipe By : Mary Nagle at Prevention (Oct/96) From: Path <phannema@...> Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 13:29:28 ~0700 (

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