It’s confusing. We go to big box stores or grocery stores in the fall, and there are those little pumpkins with a sign that says, “Pie Pumpkins.” But I have my doubts.
At every Thanksgiving table, there are diehard fans who insist on finishing off the big day with a big slice of pumpkin pie. We’re all busy. So, when we’re planning our meals, especially a huge holiday meal that takes days to prepare, canned pumpkin and a ready-made pie shell are a big draw.
I’ve sat at lots of Thanksgiving tables of friends and family, and whether it’s freshly puréed or canned pumpkin, it makes a difference in the taste of a successful pumpkin pie. There’s no shame in making a pumpkin pie from ingredients pulled right off the grocer’s shelf. I’ve done it, and it turns out just fine. With enough whipped cream, even compliment-worthy.
However, if you’re a person with the time and the culinary curiosity and inclination to elevate your pumpkin pie this season, you might appreciate some advice from an expert on heirloom fruit.
John Coykendall is a Seed Saver, a Master Gardener at Blackberry Farm, a friend of 20 years, and a frequent contributor to this magazine and my radio show and podcast, The Tennessee Farm Table. John is known as a purist when it comes to bringing fresh-grown food to the table. How that food got started matters. John “story banks,” meaning he visits with people with old-time knowledge—farmers, seed savers and people whose irreplaceable field expertise is quickly disappearing.
John documents the stories from his visits and draws illustrations in composition books. He’s amassed countless composition books of stories and drawings over the years.
Never without a pencil in his overall pocket, John sharpens it with his knife while he listens intently to the people he visits.
I always have questions for John in the fall. This year, what’s the best pumpkin to use for a slice of pie that people just might rave about until next Thanksgiving?
According to John, “You want to use a Kentucky Field Pumpkin. We grew them at the farm last year. The type you buy in the store for jack-o'-lanterns typically has thin meat and is watery, with little to no taste. Now there are good pie pumpkins out there, but for the best taste, the Kentucky Field Pumpkin.”
The seed stock that he used to grow field pumpkins, as illustrated in his journal, originally came from Miller’s Cove in Blount County. Unlike the round ones we choose for carving, his sketch notes the heirloom pumpkin’s pear shape. The Kentucky Field Pumpkin can be found in the fall months at fruit stands in our area. Weighing 10–15 pounds, with a dull orange color or sometimes a light orange hue, it produces a substantial amount of thick flesh and a sweet, nutty flavor, perfect for roasting, making pies, and puréeing and freezing for future use.
Processing the pumpkin is a fairly easy process. This method works well without having to peel the pumpkin.
Tools you need:
- A large sheet pan that will accommodate two halves of one pumpkin, and ½ inch of water
- A large, sharp knife
- An ice cream scooper or a big spoon
- A cutting board
- An oven at 350°
Directions:
- Wash the outside of the pumpkin with dish soap and sudsy water, and dry with a dish towel.
- Cut the pumpkin once, crosswise, into two even halves.
- Scoop the seeds and membrane out with an ice cream scoop. Save the seed for roasting or dry them and store them to grow pumpkins in your garden in the spring.
- Place cut-side down on the baking sheet, place in a hot oven, and pour water into the pan until it is about ½ inch all around the pumpkin.
- Allow the pumpkin to cook 34–40 minutes until it is soft to the touch. Do not overcook.
- Remove from oven and cool in the refrigerator.
- After the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin into a large bowl.
- Purée in batches in the blender until it has the consistency of canned pumpkin.
Use any canned pumpkin pie recipe you like, substituting the fresh puréed pumpkin.
Divide the remaining puréed pumpkin into two-cup portions and place them in quart-sized freezer bags. Freeze until needed for the next pie. Will keep in freezer for 3 to 4 months.