Description

As the name suggests , boiled and mashed red pumpkin refers to cooked pumkin which has been boiled and then mashed into a puree. You would need to cut pumpkin skin side up and boil the chiopped pumkin in a large covered pan with water. You can alternatively bake the pumpkins until tender. Remove from pan and allow pumpkin to cool. When cooled, cut away skin and mash or puree. Use in any recipe that calls for pureed pumpkin. The boiled nad mashed pumpkin can be used in pies, soups or other recipes calling for puree of pumpkin such as cakes, soups and as stuffings.

How to select

Though canned pumpkin puree is usually used for pumpkin desserts and soups year-round, fresh cooked pumpkin can be puréed at home and used in any recipe of choice. Fresh pumpkin should be red or orange in color, firm, fully ripe and without any soft spots or moldy growth. Smaller pumpkins are best for cooking, yielding sweeter and more tender flesh than the very large pumpkins. A 5-pound pumpkin will yield about 4 1/2 cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin.The canned pumpkin puree should checked for any dents, bulginess and expiry date.

Culinary Uses

· Boiled and mashed pumpkin can be made into soups or added in in breads and puddings.
· The pumpkin pie is still one of the favorite desserts, and an important Thanksgiving feast tradition across US.
· Cooked pumpkin can be used in several recipes including pancake, pumpkin bars, cheesecakes, several recipes for pumpkin cookies, a variety of pies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin breads, custard, and many more.
· Pumpkin ice cream, mashed umpkin sorbets and drinks can also be prepared from mashed pumpkins.
· A Coconut flavored mashed red pumpkin dish with its tangy flavours taste excellent with chappatis.

How to store

Store boiled and mashed red pumpkin in a plastic or glass jar. Keep it in the refrigerator and the puree can be used for a week to 10 days. The puree can also be frozen in cubes and used for months.

Health benefits

· Red Pumpkin puree are Fat-free, Very low sodium, Source of fiber, High in vitamin C, Cholesterol-free
· Whether mashed, baked or roasted, people often consider red pumpkin as comfort food.
· Red pumpkin mash are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber
· Red Pumpkin also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids which exhibit activity against free radicals.