11 No-Waste Sweet and Savory Recipes That Use a Whole Can of Pumpkin (2024)

FAQs

What are 2 ways people use pumpkins as food? ›

The Dickinson pumpkin is a variety of squash belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family or gourd family, which also includes melons and cucumbers. Longer and tanner than the round, orange sugar pumpkins we typically think of when we think of pumpkin pie, the Dickinson pumpkin variety more closely resembles squash.

Pumpkin contains immune-promoting nutrients like vitamins A, E, and C, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, selenium, iron, magnesium, and beta-carotene. Consuming pumpkin may help manage immune-related diseases, reduce how often you fall sick, and help you recover faster from infections.

There are plenty of ways to cook with pumpkin, and this versatile ingredient is used in salads, curries, soups, desserts and baked foods. Classic roast pumpkin is so versatile you can add it to almost any dish, from creamy pastas, to risotto, roast dinners, pastries and pies.

Fruit Type – Hybrid (Vegetable Spaghetti Squash) Average Weight – 7 to 12 lb. Plant Type – Semi-bush. Thick flesh cooks to a unique vegetable spaghetti product. Fruit mature from white with green stripes to orange with gold stripes.

While all pumpkins are edible, some are great as food, and some are better suited for other purposes. The jack-o'-lantern pumpkin is a great example.

1. Black Futsu – Like a color-changing chameleon, this rare Japanese variety is one of the most unique pumpkins you can grow. Starting out as a greenish-black wart covered fruit, 'Black Futsu' turns chestnut color when mature, but not before transitioning through a grayish-green, moldy-looking stage.

Potassium. Potassium is essential for electrolyte balance and supports muscle function. Pumpkin also contains this vital mineral, helping keep your muscles in top shape.

Pureed, baked or roasted pumpkin is a nutrient-dense food that is low in calories and fat while being high in fiber, helping you feel full for longer.

Pumpkin is very healthy and considered safe for most. However, some people may experience allergies after eating pumpkin (32). It's also considered mildly diuretic, which means eating a lot of pumpkin may induce a “water pill”-like reaction, increasing the amount of water and salt your body expels through urine (33).

What are pumpkin common uses? ›

Pumpkin is delicious, versatile and easy to add to your diet. Its sweet flavor makes it a popular ingredient in dishes like custards, pies and pancakes. However, it works just as well in savory dishes such as roasted vegetables, soups and pastas.

Pumpkins in the 10- to 25-pound range are primarily used for fall decorations, carved into jack-o-lanterns, but can also be used for processing. Pumpkins above 25 pounds are called giant. Giant pumpkins typically range between 25 to 1,000 pounds in size.

Pumpkin puree is an easy way to utilize the pulp inside, she said. Puree can be used to make sweet treats like pies, parfaits and cookies or savory snacks like hummus. “If you remove the seeds and pulp to cook, they should be immediately refrigerated or prepared to avoid potential food safety issues,” she noted.