What are those little pumpkins for, anyway?

Long before commercial canners discovered the convenience of canned pumpkin, Thanksgiving pie bakers labored over hot, little pumpkins to create their own filling.

They knew not all pumpkins are pie pumpkins. The bigger ones are bred for decorations and would be bland and grainy in a pie.

Pie pumpkins are the little guys, most commonly the Sugar Pumpkin or Sweet Pumpkin or in the Midwest the Cheese Pumpkin (a favorite pie topper was a slice of cheddar cheese). These are not immature pumpkins. Their flesh produces the creamy, sweet filling so coveted in a perfect pie.

It's a lot easier to open a can than to prepare a pie pumpkin. Scratch pies remain a lost art, as is the last generation to enjoy them, probably in the 1930s. Most of us have no idea how using fresh improves the dessert.


Pumpkin flesh from cans seems OK when we have nothing to compare. But this is last year's pumpkin, already cooked. It tastes like, well, it's out of a can.

Fresh pie pumpkin is as you might expect it — light, airy, screaming for another piece. All this, without help from whipped cream or a brown sugar and pecan topping.

If there's no little ones available, you can go to Plan B. That's butternut squash. It substitutes well in any pumpkin recipe. Plan C is carrots. Both are nearly unmistakable if you use the same pumpkin-pie spices (kind of like hot dogs which can be made of any meat if you dump on the right flavorings).


We must be patient for pie pumpkins. They take longer to mature than the big ones. They often are not available until November and are gone by late December.

This year, shoppers will find a wide array of prices. I saw them at 69 cents at a small grocery and $4 at a megastore. Don't mistake them for the even smaller mini pumpkins used for decorations, which are actually gourds. Pie pumpkins look like full-size jack 'o lanterns only smaller.

For a standard, deep-dish, 9-inch pie, use a 6-inch diameter pie pumpkin. You may have enough for a second pie (a 4-inch) or use the leftover mash for cookies or pudding.

Since we're going scratch on this one, leave the "pumpkin pie spice" on the shelf and craft your own (see recipe). You'll be surprised at the improvement.


1 6-inch fresh pie pumpkin

1 9-inch single crust

2 eggs

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 can, 12-ounce evaporated milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pull off pumpkin stem. Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds (save for the birds) and membrane. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. Cool until just warm.

Scrape the pumpkin from the peel. Mash or puree in a blender or food processor.

Whisk eggs and add to pumpkin. Add remaining ingredients singly, mixing after each. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Place a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent over browning.

Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce to 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean. Remove the foil 20 minutes before the pie is done to brown the edge. Cool pie and refrigerate overnight for flavors to meld.

Note: In the olden days, it was common to add a tablespoon of rum to the filling and serve with a slice of mild cheddar cheese on top.


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix ingredients, store in an airtight container.