Serves: 5

Here are tips on how to clean a pumpkin for cooking:

First, scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush.

Cut the pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scrape out the fibers and the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.

Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces, then place them skin side up in a shallow baking dish. (the pumpkin should be cut into pieces with seeds removed, not cooked whole. The skin does not need to be pierced.)

Add water to just cover the bottom of the dish, and cover tightly.

Bake in a 325°F oven until the pumpkin is fork-tender. The time will vary depending on the size of your pieces.

Let it cool, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.

TIP: For pumpkins that you're not cooking right away, keep them cool but not quite as cool as root crops. If you have a coolish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65°F.

More Recipes from the 2013 HomeCook'n Collection Cookbook:
Table Talk: Ritzy Chicken
Table Talk: Keep the Dinnertime Conversation 'Roll'ing
Collette Family Crescent Rolls
Table Talk: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Table Talk: Dine from the Vine
Stuffed Zucchini
Tuscan Tomato Soup
Mini Penne with Zucchini and Sausage
Kitchen Remedy: Speedy Delivery Smoothies
Kitchen Remedy: Cut-Out-the-Carb Zucchini Noodles
Kitchen Remedy: Egg-ceptionally Sliced Strawberries
Kitchen Pantry: Best of Pinterest: 6-minute Caramels
Kitchen Pantry: How to get help with Cook'n!
Refrigerator Door: Who is in charge of the USDA?
Refrigerator Door: Cook and Clean a Pumpkin!
Featured Recipe: Chicken Fettucine
Featured Recipe: Spinach Bacon Quiche
Featured Recipe: Grilled Peach-and-Mozzarella Salad
Featured Recipe: Pomegranate & Black Tea Sangria (non-alcoholic)
Featured Recipe: Harvest Cake
Jest For Fun: Ever have a morning like this?...
Jest For Fun: If Dora the Explorer were a live-action film...
Jest For Fun: Kids are so funny!
Jest For Fun: Kids are so funny! (II)