Unlike other winter squash, pumpkin season is rather ephemeral. By the time you eat your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, the season will be over. You want to be sure to have eaten it in some other form before then. Fry it, boil it, bake it, purée it. Make soup, ice cream or lasagna. Rich in beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A (important for eye health), pumpkin is also a great source of vitamins E, C and some B as well as the minerals calcium and magnesium. It is also a great source of fiber. Try any of these pumpkin recipes and you can potentially curb your appetite (high fiber), resist infections and viruses (vitamin A) and recover faster if you do catch cold (vitamin C). Or you can ignore these potential health benefits and just enjoy the yum factor. Bottom line: The time to eat pumpkin is now.
So many pumpkin recipes, so little time
Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Yields
Makes 2 loaves
Time
35 minutes
Yields
Serves 4 to 6
Time
15 minutes
Yields
Serves 4 quesadillas
Time
15 minutes
Yields
Serves 6 to 12
Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yields
Serves 6 to 10
Time
2 hours
Yields
Makes 2 to 2½ dozen tamales, depending on size
Time
2 hours
Yields
Serves 12 to 15
Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Yields
Serves 8 to 10
Time
30 minutes
Yields
Makes 12 cloverleaf or 18 dinner rolls
Time
25 minutes
Yields
Serves 6 to 8
Time
2 hours 50 minutes
Yields
Serves 8 to 12
Time
24 minutes
Yields
Serves 4
Time
5 minutes
Yields
Makes 1 cocktail
Time
3 hours 15 minutes
Yields
Serves 8 to 10