Pumpkin: useful properties and original recipes

This unpretentious fruit

Depending on the pumpkin variety, the ripening time is at the beginning or mid-autumn. Large-fruited pumpkins are the latest in ripening. The main condition for them is removal from the beds before the onset of frost, airing under awnings and proper storage, which allows the fruits to ripen for 2-3 weeks.

The largest producers (and concurrently consumers) of pumpkins are the USA, Mexico, India and China. In Russia, pumpkin is grown in all agricultural regions, except for Eastern Siberia and Karelia. By the way, scientists say that pumpkin can be grown absolutely anywhere in the world, except Antarctica.

The beneficial properties of giant berries

The healing properties of pumpkins will surprise anyone with their variety and amount of vitamins. Pumpkin is an indispensable dietary product. In folk and official medicine, it is used for diseases of the heart, kidneys, obesity, hypertension, cholecystitis, as well as atherosclerosis, stomach diseases, disorders of the nervous system and insomnia. And all because the fragrant pumpkin pulp literally consists of vitamins. It contains both ascorbic acid, which saves from autumn colds, and B vitamins, which not only cope with fatigue, irritability and insomnia, but also make hair fluffy and strong nails. Vitamins A and E contained in pumpkin are the main fighters against wrinkles and premature aging, and the rare vitamin K affects blood coagulation.

Pumpkin pulp contains antioxidants and beta-carotene (as evidenced by its rich orange color). In the body, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, which is responsible for the functioning of the immune system and the health of the skin, hair, and the state of bone tissue and vision. Carotene in pumpkin is five times more than in carrots, and three times more than in beef liver. For this reason, ophthalmologists recommend that people with visual impairments consume pumpkin and pumpkin juice. In addition, pumpkin is a champion in iron content. That is why fans of this yellow pulp are distinguished by a healthy complexion and good mood.

What can be prepared: useful properties in dishes

What to cook from pumpkin? In its raw form, pumpkin goes well with apples, carrots and herbs. Casseroles and cereals, pancakes and marinades, side dishes and main dishes are traditionally prepared from pulp. The most popular pumpkin combinations are with cereals and vegetables, with milk and dried fruits, with nuts and mushrooms. Sweet orange pulp is especially appreciated by dessert lovers. This giant berry is ready to become a component of a complex salad, pie or jam, and can give all its sweetness in the form of candied fruits or just baked pieces with sugar or raisins.

Cooking recipes

We present you interesting recipes from pumpkin. When preparing dishes from pumpkin, it is important to maintain the maximum of its useful properties. Even if it is baked cream soup or pumpkin. Or pumpkin cakes. In a word, you already understood that pumpkin is such a product from which you can cook both first and second courses, and even dessert.

Warm salad

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 800 g pumpkin
• 2 small red onions,
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt, pepper to taste,
• vegetable oil,
• balsamic vinegar.

Cooking

1. Cut the pumpkin into cubes, onion - in large slices, squeeze the garlic through a garlic squeezer or chop finely.
2. Preheat oven to 200 ºC. Cover a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment, put pumpkin, onion, garlic. Salt, pepper, drizzle with oil, mix gently and put in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
3. Put the prepared vegetables on a plate, sprinkle arugula on top (if the leaves are large, tear them into medium pieces) and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
4. Garnish with slices of figs and pumpkin seeds.

Pistachio Cream Soup

Learn how to make pumpkin soup and surprise guests with an unusual ingredient - pistachios!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 kg of pumpkin pulp,
• 2 onions,
• 20 g butter,
• 200 ml of heavy cream,
• 50 g pistachios
• salt, pepper to taste,
• a pinch of ground ginger and ground nutmeg,
• balsamic glaze.

Cooking

1. Chop the onion finely, pumpkin into medium cubes. Heat the butter in a frying pan and slightly onion in it, without frying. Add the pumpkin and simmer, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Transfer vegetables to the pan, pour a liter of boiling water there. If the water has not covered the vegetables, add a little more boiling water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkins are ready for about 20 minutes, then blend the vegetables and pour almost all the cream into the pan (leave a little to serve). Once again, warm the soup almost to a boil and season with all spices and salt to taste.
4. Serve hot in plates, pouring cream, balsamic glaze on top and sprinkling with pistachios. To the soup you can serve toast from a baguette, juice.

Baked pumpkin with cheese

Oven pumpkin dishes are mainly cooked with meat or cereals. We present a recipe for how to cook pumpkin in the oven with cheese!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 pumpkin weighing 3 kg,
• 500 g of Gruyere cheese
• 1 liter of cream, fat content 35%,
• 50 g butter,
• salt, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg to taste.

Cooking

1. Cut the crown off the pumpkin and scrub the seeds and fibers from the spoon.
2. Pour coarsely grated cheese into the pumpkin (about a third of the volume of the pumpkin). Top with cream. Between the top edge of the pumpkin and the level of cream poured, leave a small space, about a quarter of the volume, so that the contents do not boil during cooking. Salt, pepper, add butter, cover the hole with the cut off crown.
3. Put for an hour in the oven, heated to 180 ºC. If the pumpkin weighs a little more than 3 kg, hold it in the oven for longer (about 1 hour and 15 minutes). Serve the finished pumpkin in a large dish.

Shortcakes with pumpkin cream

Sweet pumpkin dishes are varied. But you will like this recipe for its originality. After all, the pumpkin in it is the basis for the cream of cakes!

Ingredients (for 12 servings):

• 500 g shortcrust pastry
• 450 g of pumpkin pulp,
• 2 eggs,
• 180 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger,
• 30 g of any ground nuts to taste,
• whipped cream,
• seasonal berries.

Cooking

1. Roll out the shortbread dough into a layer 3 mm thick and cut circles with a diameter of 10 cm from it.
2. Put the dough in greased cupcakes, cover with foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 ºC.
3. Prepare the cream: grind the pumpkin flesh in a blender, mix with spices, nuts and eggs, whipped with sugar.
4. Put the cream in the molds with the dough and put in the oven for 40 minutes, heated to 190 ºC.
5. Leave the finished cakes in molds for 10 minutes, then remove, completely cool and garnish with whipped cream and fresh berries.

We hope you liked the orange “miracle berry” - a pumpkin, whose beneficial properties are truly unique? It is tasty, fragrant, healthy, easy to prepare and will help you out in all cases of life. And also, you must agree, putting dishes of pumpkin on the table, you will become an extraordinary mistress!