Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is for pumpkin pie made from fresh pumpkin. I have not tried swapping out the pumpkin for the same volume of canned pumpkin. I typically use a Cheese or Galeux d’Eysines pumpkin. The former is a squat, grey colored pumpkin that looks like a cheese wheel and the latter like it was grown in Chernobyl and is grey covered in what can best be described as warts. The more ‘warts’ the sweeter they are. They are both delicious.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups pumpkin, cooked and drained
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar (or less depending on how sweet the pumpkin is)
  • Pie crust

Directions

You can either bake, or if you have one, pressure cook the pumpkin

Bake the Pumpkin

Wash and cut the pumpkin in half. You will need a very large, and very sharp kitchen knife and enough umphf to get through pumpkin. Scoop out all of the seeds and stringy material. Scoop out all of the seeds and stringy material.

If you have a dish large enough covered disk, place the pumpkin cut side down in about 1″ of water and bake, covered at 375 F for anywhere from 45 min to 1.5 hours. It depends on the size and density of the pumpkin. If you don’t have a dish large enough cut the pumpkin into as many reasonably large chunks as you can and cook in covered pyrex, or similar, dishes with covers.

Pressure Cook the Pumpkin

Wash and cut the pumpkin into similarly thick slices/chunks that will fit in your pressure cooker. If you have a basket, use it, so that the pumpkin is not immersed in the water as it cooks; you want to steam it, not boil it.

Pressure cook, on high for about 15 minutes. Turn off the pressure cooker and let it sit without letting the steam out, for another 5 minutes.

Separate the Meat from the Skin

Once you can easily pass a fork through the meat, it is done.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a large pot and let drain and cool enough to be able to hold the slice of pumpkin in a towel in your hand, skin side down. Then with a spoon scoop out the meat, separating it from the skin placing in another large bowl or pot.

After the pumpkin cools further, there will probably be some pools of water in or around it. Use a clean cotton towel to sop up as much as you can, but do not try to get it completely dry.

Make the pie filling

Mix the sugar, flour, salt, and spices together in a large mixing bowl until well mixed.

Add the pumpkin and egg and beat with a mixer until smooth.

Pour into crust and bake for 45 min to 1 hour at 375 F.

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