Substitutes for pumpkin in pie
Pumpkin shortage? Don't worry. No one will miss the pumpkin pie on your holiday table with these delicious substitutions.
photo: andycoan/Flickr 1. Cut squash in half through the stems and scoop out seeds and strings. Place halves, skin side up, on an oiled baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees until the skin is easily pierced and the flesh is soft, anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes.2. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop flesh into a food processor and puree until it is perfectly smooth. This fresh puree will be wetter than canned. To remove some of the moisture, transfer puree to a colander lined with cheesecloth. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie in a knot. Put a plate on top of the knotted cheesecloth and weigh it down with some heavy cans or a bowl of water. Place colander over a bowl and let it drain for 30 minutes to an hour, until it reaches the proper consistency. Makes about 4 cups.
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Comments
I found cans of organic butternut squash for $1.29! I've made two experimental pies waiting for Thursday....one, i told my daughter was butternut squash....the other one, I said, "Okay, I went for the real thing here." (mom trick) and she said, "oh, see, the *real* pumpkin is much better than the pie you made earlier."
Ha!
...but have also tried other items:
For pies: Try fresh sweet potatoes, either roasted or peeled and boiled, then pureed and used in lieu of pumpkin (a one-to-one ratio, no extra sugar needed). Canned yams, drained, rinsed and pureed, can be substituted as well, but ditch all the syrup. Fresh pumpkin can fill in: Look for varieties like the sugar pie; a medium sugar pie will yield about 2 cups of puree. Fresh pumpkins can be cut in half and roasted on a cookie sheet cut-side down; cut.... More
