Pumpkin - How To Peel, Cut, and Store

It's pumpkin season, so we're going to show you the best way to preserve this versatile and beneficial veggie. In this post we talk specifically about the Muscat pumpkin. Don't forget to watch our educational video at the end of the post.

Required Materials

• 1 Kitchen board
• 1 Sharp knife
• 1 Potato peeler
• Freezing bags or silicon molds (for freezing in single doses)
• Cling film
• 1 Strainer
• 1 Cloth or kitchen towels

Peeling and Cutting

• Start by cutting the pumpkin in half, positioning the knife next to the stem.
• Remove the seeds with a tablespoon.
• Cut the pumpkin in half again and remove the stem.
• Cut each rib and remove the peel with a potato peeler.
• Cut each rib into cubes.

Storage

Here at home we preserve the pumpkins by freezing them. They can be frozen raw or cooked. 

Raw

1. To store raw pumpkin, simply put the cubes in freezer bags. We use these because they are reusable and have a hand pump to remove the air from the bag, which allows to gain more space in the freezer.

Cooked

1. To store cooked pumpkin, steam the cubes until they are very tender.
2. Blend the cooked cubes in the food processor until they become a puree.
3. Place the puree in silicon molds so that it is frozen in individual doses.
4. Cover the molds with cling film and place in the freezer. 
5. Then just defrost each individual dose as needed and it is ready to use in soups, jams, and other cooked dishes.
6. Freezing is recommended between 6 months and 1 year, however we have had it frozen for longer without any problems.

Seeds

To preserve the seeds:

1. Remove the threads of pumpkin filling that are attached to the seeds.
2. With the help of a strainer, wash the seeds to remove residues.
3. Remove excess water with a cloth or kitchen towels.
4. Separate the seeds well and let them dry. They can dry on a cloth, kitchen towels, foil or other clean surface.

The seeds can be roasted in the oven for later use in cooking or they can be stored for cultivation in the garden the following year.

There are several species of pumpkin and we usually grow Muscat and Butternut. If you want to see how to peel this kind of pumpkin, check also the post and video: Butternut Squash - How to Peel, Cut, and Store.

Watch now the video about the Muscat pumpkin.

Video: Pumpkin - How to Peel, Cut and Store