If you have never cooked fresh pumpkin it may seem daunting but it is a really easy way to get pumpkin for all of your favorite fall recipes. And the seeds are just a bonus!!

How To Cook Pumpkins For Use In Your Favorite Fall Recipes…

Slice, Scoop, Bake

Clean the pumpkin with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt. Remove the stem and woody spot on the base by cutting a square around it and pulling it out.

Cut the pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff (Reserve the seeds for roasting). A serrated grapefruit spoon is great for scooping out the seeds.

Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces, then place them skin side up in a shallow baking dish. Add water to just cover the bottom of the dish and cover tightly with foil.

How To Cook Pumpkins For Use In Your Favorite Fall Recipes…

Bake at 325°F until the pumpkin is fork tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pumpkin pieces but generally 1-2 hours. Check for doneness every so often by sticking a fork in them. Once the pumpkin is soft, it is done.

Allow pumpkins to cool and then scoop the soft pumpkin flesh into a bowl. You may discard the skins.

Depending on how you want to use the pumpkin, you may want to mash or give it a whizz in the food processor to smooth out any lumps.

That’s it! You can divide it into 2-cup servings and place into freezer bags if you have more than you can use right now.

What To Do With Those Pumpkin Seeds?

Clean the seeds: Separate the seeds from the stringy stuff and rinse them in a strainer to remove the pulp. Allow the seeds to dry.

Roast the seeds: Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes at 300°F to dry them out.

Add seasonings: Toss the seeds with olive oil, and your choice of seasonings (I offer some suggestions below). Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.

A few tasty seasoning suggestions:

• Sweet Toss with a little sugar and cinnamon (how about some nutmeg?)
• Spicy Toss with Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes
• Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chile powder and ground cumin. 
• Indian Toss with some curry powder
• Italian Toss with grated Parmesan cheese and dried oregano
• Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chili powder and ground cumin
• Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar Combine some maple syrup with the olive oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
• Enjoy! Pumpkin seeds make great additions to oatmeal or other warm breakfast cereal. They are great additions to salads and make a great snack. Fresh roasted pumpkin seeds are best straight from the oven but will last up to 5 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.