How to cook a pumpkin

I love the taste and smell of fresh pumpkin.  Most of us use the stuff in the can, but here is instructions on how to get the "real" pumpkin taste in your recipes.

First you'll need to buy pie pumpkins.  They are the littler ones, and should be labeled as such at the store.  When you get home pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Then cut them in half, I was able to bend the stem off after cutting them, this makes it easier to fit them all on the pan.  After cutting them in half scrape out the seeds and goo.  Lay them face down on a pan.  I used my biggest cookie sheet.  Put the cookie sheet in the oven and add water to the bottom of the pan.  I put in about 4-5 cups of water. (Just put in enough to cover the bottom, but not coming over the sides.   

Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the pumpkins.  I usually feel the pumpkins.  When the are soft and squishy to the touch the are done.

Pull them out of the oven and turn over to let them cool down.  When the are cool enough to touch peel off the skin and put the pumpkin into a blender.

Blend it up nice and smooth.  I divided mine out into little Tupperware, and freeze mine. My two pumpkins I bought made 8 cups of pumpkin.  So each pumpkin makes about 4 cups, if you buy the size I did.   I used real pumpkin in my pumpkin pies last year and they tasted great!  You can also use this in pancakes, Cinnamon rolls, and I am going to make some pumpkin bread in a few days. . .enjoy!