Walk past any market stall in October and you will see them piled high: round orange pumpkins, pale blue-grey squashes, knobbly green ones and little striped varieties that look almost too pretty to eat. Pumpkin season is in full swing, and with Halloween only a few weeks away, many of those beauties will end up carved on a doorstep. But the best part of a pumpkin is usually inside, and it deserves a place on the table.
Which pumpkin is best for cooking?
The large, thin-walled lanterns sold for carving are bred for size, not flavour. Their flesh is often watery and bland. For the kitchen, look for smaller, dense varieties. Hokkaido (red kuri) is a favourite because its skin softens when cooked, so you do not even need to peel it. Butternut squash is sweet and smooth, perfect for soups and purées. Delica and other kabocha types have a rich, chestnut-like taste that shines when roasted.
A good cooking pumpkin feels heavy for its size, has a firm, unblemished skin and a dry, woody stem. Stored somewhere cool and airy, whole pumpkins keep for weeks, which makes them one of the most practical autumn foods.
Three easy ways to enjoy it
- Roast it. Cut into wedges, toss with olive oil, salt, a pinch of chilli and some rosemary, and roast at a high heat until the edges caramelise. Serve with feta, a handful of rocket and toasted nuts for a simple warm salad.
- Make a velvety soup. Sweat an onion and a little ginger, add cubed pumpkin and stock, simmer until soft, then blend. A splash of coconut milk or cream and a squeeze of lime turn it into something special.
- Bake with it. Mashed roasted pumpkin adds moisture and colour to bread, muffins and pancakes, and it pairs beautifully with cinnamon, nutmeg and a little maple syrup.
Do not throw away the seeds
The seeds you scoop out are a free snack. Rinse off the stringy bits, pat them dry, mix with a little oil and salt and roast for about fifteen minutes until golden and crunchy. Sprinkle them over soups and salads or simply eat them by the handful.
Cooking with pumpkin is also a lovely way to bring people into the kitchen. Children enjoy scooping out seeds and arranging wedges on a tray, and a big pot of soup can feed a whole family for two evenings. If you do carve a lantern this year, consider buying an extra cooking pumpkin alongside it. One will glow on your doorstep for a week; the other will make your kitchen smell like autumn.
