Best Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe and Recipes

Photo by Warren

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Recipes for the novice and experienced baker.

 

Know what it takes to bake a Great Pumpkin Pie.

 

Pumpkin Pie Recipes

 

Vintage Pumpkin Pie Recipes

 

 

You are in the right place for How To make the best homemade pumpkin pie you might have ever tasted.

 

Pumpkin, the famous winter squash

Pumpkins are the most famous of the winter squashes. That is right pumpkins are a vegetable. They come in various sizes, color and sweetness. The most common familiar color is orange.

 

Special pumpkins are used for making pies. They are called pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. They generally weigh two to four pounds. There flesh is sweeter and less stringy.

 

History on Pumpkins

The tradition of eating pumpkin at Thanksgiving came from the Pilgrims, who settled in New England.

 

The custom was to serve the pumpkin with its head and seeds removed. The cavity filled with milk, honey and spices. It was then baked until tender.

 

Now the pumpkin is served at any time of the year and pureed, either fresh or canned. This is used to make sweet golden pumpkin pies.

 

Canned pumpkin ranking:

 

First Place is One-Pie canned pumpkin.

Taste - One-Pie version is a“creamy” texture with a“mild sweetness”. The puree is wetter and not as “pumpkin-ee”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Place almost tied for first place is Libby's canned pumpkin.

Taste - Libby's is a denser “texture” and “sharper” pumpkin flavor. The puree consistency is good and dryer which is probably why the pumpkin taste is stronger.

 

 

 

 

 

Third Place is Trader Joe’s Organic canned pumpkin.

Taste - Joe's version seemed to have a “squash-ier”, less sweet taste.The consistency is smooth with a good pumpkin flavor. The puree has a bright orange color that looks great in a baked pumpkin pie.

 

 

 

 

Last Place is Farmer’s Market organic canned pumpkin.

Taste - Not good for its unpleasantly “vegetal” and “chalky” flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to choose a Fresh Pumpkin for baking in a pie:

• Use a pie pumpkin, sugar pumpkin or a bright colored butternut squash for real fresh pumpkin pies.
• Do Not use anything huge. Their flesh will be bitter, tough and stringy.

• Choose a pumpkin that feels solid and heavy for its size.
• Choose a pumpkin that has consistent orange coloring throughout.
• Turn the pumpkin over and place pressure on the bottom with your thumbs. If it flexes or gives your pumpkin is not fresh.
• It should be free of blemishes. Look for soft spots, mold, wrinkles or open cuts that would indicate damage or early spoilage.
• Choose a pumpkin with a solidly attached stem. A green stem indicates a freshly harvested pumpkin.

 

Can you freeze your homemade pumpkin pie?

Yes, dear you can. But, learn how to freeze your fully baked pumpkin pie. There is a right way and there is a wrong way.

 

Some say NO because freezing the pie will ruin it and make it taste funny. The results of the pumpkin pie will be a watery filling after thawing and a soggy crust.

 

How to reheat your pumpkin pie in a microwave oven is critical and easy if you know the basics. The first thing to know is that microwave ovens do not heat things evenly. MORE...

 

How to know when your pumpkin pie is done baking:

a) Give it a little shake and the very center should jiggle a little bit. The filling should still be firm but wiggle some in the center.

b) Or take a temperature in the center, and it should register about 175° F.

 

The filling will still cook a little when removed from the oven. If you wait until the center is set, it has over cooked. You will get cracks, especially along the edges of the filling.

 

 

 

Interested in Pumpkin Pies?

Libby´s Famous Pumpkin Pie Recipe - It´s good but in Danger!

Bake a Pumpkin Pie for less than three dollars, but Beware!

Can I freeze my homemade Pumpkin Pie? Yes. But how?