Across the country, people are planning to head to their kitchen before Thanksgiving to create their own pumpkin pie. As they look at their shopping list, most people will have on it a can of pumpkin. What their list should say is a pie pumpkin. Making your own pumpkin puree not only provides a better flavor but also it not that hard to do. Alton Brown displayed this on a recent episode of Good Eats entitled "American Classic IX: Pumpkin Pie". Below you will find my notes from my own experience with this recipe. To view the full recipe, click here to access the Good Eats page at the Food Network website.
1. I have made my own pumpkin puree before. However my recipe didn't call for kosher salt. But it is a great idea. Salt helps pull out moisture, which helps to soften the pumpkin.
2. My other recipe also didn't call for me to bake the pumpkin flesh side down. Doing so is a good idea because it helps the flesh not too burn.
3. I found that by following Alton's method, I had pumpkin puree faster than I did with my old recipe.
Although cutting something and throwing some salt in it, isn't much of a recipe, but Alton's instructions deliver a better result than I have had in the past. Which is way I give this recipe an A for a grade.
If you are looking for some additional uses for pumpkin puree besides pie, check out my post on how to use pumpkin puree that includes links to several recipes.
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