Making pumpkin pie from scratch for the first time...quick question about my pumpkin puree.

[Graphix]

I baked and food processed a 'Cheese Pumpkin', The puree is a little bit thicker than apple sauce. Should i let it sit in a chinois over a bowl to dry out, or should i proceed as is? Should i modify the recipe if i do? I was planning on using this recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

Thanks,

Brendan

[annabelle]

How loose is it? Is it watery? I'd cook it down if so.

I leave the pumpkin pureeing to Libby's since they've been at it for ages.

Best of luck.

[Brown Hornet]

Ditto what Annabelle said -- if it's not real loose and watery I wouldn't worry too much about it. In my experience, homemade pumpkin puree is generally a bit looser than canned pumpkin puree. That said, although I still make my pumpkin pies from scratch, there's very little difference between using canned pureed pumpkin and roasting and pureeing your own. I just like the tradition of making it myself every fall and also having the seeds to season and roast afterwards.

[janeer]

Sugar pumpkins are the classic. Don't know what cheese pumpkins are pumpkins vary in flavor and richness. Traditional method is to dry out in a cast iron pan. I don't like the recipe. Spice is wrong, propryions off . You can't go wrong with Libby's recipe; you can use lt cream if you want and sub Brian sugar for 1/3 the white.

[Martin Fisher]

In my opinion, it should be prepped at least to the point where it doesn't easily weep.
I prefer to whack the 'pumkins' in half and roast the halves open-face down on a roasting pan.
When soft, I run the meat through a tater ricer or food mill.
It's almost never too loose that way.
If need be, you can firm it up but spreading it out on a baking sheet and in a slow oven stir the 'pumpkin' every 10-15 minutes until it firms up to the desired consistency.

"Cheese pumpkins" are c. moschata and the moschatas do make the best pumpkin pie.
Nearly all commercial pumpkin is made from c. moschata and not c. pepo - which are most generally recognized as the 'true' pumpkins.

While the Seminole pumpkin (a c. moschata) arguably makes the best pumpkin pie, there's really no need to go out of your the way to source C. moschata.....common butternut squashes are c.moschata and they make a good pumpkin pie.
I have for many years made my pumpkin pies with 75-80% c. moschata and 20-25% carrot....the carrot adds a nice flavor, natural sweetness and bright orange color.

[Martin Fisher]

I also should have noted that the food processor likely contributed to the wateriness by freeing up excess water.

I like to use the tater ricer or food mill because I prefer that consistency.

[annabelle]

The food processor is most definitely not your friend with squashes or potatoes. It just pulverizes the meat and causes watery vegetables to weep and starchy roots to turn to glue.

I have made pumpkin pie with sugar pumpkins long ago in the misty past and did as Martin said and ran them through a food mill. That will remove any stringy bits. If it isn't smooth enough to suit you, you can run it through the mill again using one of the finer discs.

Please post a picture of your pie. I'd be interested to learn if it is better than your experience with canned pumpkin*.

*That's punkin around here.

[andiesenji]

I am also a food mill pumpkin person...

I use my Foley food mill when doing large batches (for canning or freezing) but I use a ricer as noted by DiggingDogFarm because using a blender or food processor will give a much looser result and I like a tiny bit of texture left in the pumpkin EXCEPT when I am going to prepare a pudding or other dish where the end result must be very smooth and creamy.

Pumpkin pies need some of that texture to remain light and tender. Otherwise it can turn into glue.

Here are a couple of photos of a pumpkin custard pie (several eggs) with a closeup detail where you can see the texture. And how it looked immediately after removal from the oven when it had puffed up. The collapse is normal.

[annabelle]

Beautiful pie, Andie! That crust is nice and short, too. I also decorate my pumpkin pies with autumn leaves of cut out pastry.

[andiesenji]

If anyone is interested, I just put my recipe up on my blog. I've been meaning to do it for some time, this topic just prompted me to take it out of the "to do" folder and add it to the list of recipes.

http://www.asenjigalblogs.com/resurrected-recipes-from-long-ago/andies-pumpkin-custard-pie/

I should add that for potlucks, I bake this in a large rectangular baking pan with the doubled recipe. It's easier to portion it into squares and set them on small plates (disposable) which looks nicer on a buffet.

Edited October 12, 2013 by andiesenji (log)

[donk79]

If anyone is interested, I just put my recipe up on my blog. I've been meaning to do it for some time, this topic just prompted me to take it out of the "to do" folder and add it to the list of recipes.

http://www.asenjigalblogs.com/resurrected-recipes-from-long-ago/andies-pumpkin-custard-pie/

I should add that for potlucks, I bake this in a large rectangular baking pan with the doubled recipe. It's easier to portion it into squares and set them on small plates (disposable) which looks nicer on a buffet.

Thanks for posting this Andie. I just used it as a base for whipping up a pie while visiting with family. There where a few things I had to improvise though. Among them, you include cream and milk in the ingredients list, but do not specify how to use them. I decided to add them to the custard, and add an extra egg just in case I was wrong and was adding too much liquid. It smells wonderful, and I am very much looking forward to tasting it!

[pbear]

The food processor is most definitely not your friend with squashes or potatoes. It just pulverizes the meat and causes watery vegetables to weep and starchy roots to turn to glue.

A not-insignificant quibble. I agree this is true of the knife blade, which is what it appears the OP used. OTOH, if the OP doesn't have a food mill, the grating disk of a food processor does very well with squashes and potatoes.

[SylviaLovegren]

There was a German restaurant in Hoboken, NJ, that had the best homemade punkin pies. I asked once how they were so good and the owner said his mother made them and her secret was that she used fresh squash and baked it very dry before using it in the pies. But I still couldn't get a complete recipe.

[andiesenji]

If anyone is interested, I just put my recipe up on my blog. I've been meaning to do it for some time, this topic just prompted me to take it out of the "to do" folder and add it to the list of recipes.

http://www.asenjigalblogs.com/resurrected-recipes-from-long-ago/andies-pumpkin-custard-pie/

I should add that for potlucks, I bake this in a large rectangular baking pan with the doubled recipe. It's easier to portion it into squares and set them on small plates (disposable) which looks nicer on a buffet.

Thanks for posting this Andie. I just used it as a base for whipping up a pie while visiting with family. There where a few things I had to improvise though. Among them, you include cream and milk in the ingredients list, but do not specify how to use them. I decided to add them to the custard, and add an extra egg just in case I was wrong and was adding too much liquid. It smells wonderful, and I am very much looking forward to tasting it!

Sorry for the omission. The ingredients are added in the order listed. I'll fix it a bit later.