Stewed Pumpkin or Squash for Pies
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the pumpkin or squash in half and remove the seeds.
Slice it into thick pieces, pare the outside, and cut into small pieces.
Place the pieces in a large pot or saucepan with a little water.
Stew
Cook slowly until tender.
Move the pot to the back of the stove to prevent burning and cook slowly, stirring often, until the moisture is dried out and the pumpkin looks dark and red.
This process takes at least half a day for a rich flavor.
Finish
Once cool, press the mixture through a colander.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Pumpkin or squash
- Forms the bulk of the filling, and its starch and sugars soften and deepen in color as it stews.
- Water
- Creates initial steam so the pieces soften before the liquid cooks off.
The step that matters
Stirring and low heat while the moisture dries out. Slow cooking with frequent stirring keeps the pumpkin from scorching on the bottom of the pot while its sugars caramelize and the mixture thickens. Too much heat burns the sugars before the texture becomes smooth and concentrated.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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