[matilda333]

Hello all...

I recently tried my hand at pumpkin pie, after spending the best part of summer/autumn growing a nice size one in preparation.
Unfortunately, it did not turn out as i would have wished!! 
I followed the recipe from one of the river cottage handbooks entitled 'veg patch' which consists of a pastry base, spiced sweet pumpkin filling and meringue top. I imagined the pumpkin filling to be firm, however when i cut into it a porridge-resembling filling came spilling out- not very appetising. the tase was rather strange i must admit.
The recipe tells you to bake the pumpkin 1/2's for about 1 hour untill the flesh is soft and pulpy...again, when i tried this it took over 3 hours!!.. and so was very disappointed with the outcome after tending to it for so long!! 

I was wondering if anyone has made pumpkin pie before and has found a successful recipe/ may be able to point out what went wrong here?!!

[catllar]

I've not tried this recipe, but here is mine. I've been making this for about 30 years. The filling doesn't come out the oven very firm, it's more like a custard texture. It firms up on cooling - if it lasts that long. Not everyones cup of tea, pumpkin pie, but my family love it. A lot depends on your variety re taste and cooking time (if the skin is thick I'd be inclined to peel it and over with tinfoil in oven to cook a bit quicker)

 Vermont Pumpkin Pie. Make shortcrust pastry for a 9" tin. If using fresh pumpkin you need about 3lb weight. Oven 160C GM3. Cut in half and de -seed. Bake pumpkin for about an hour till flesh is soft. Puree the pulp and turn oven up to 200C GM6. You need about 3/4pint of puree and add 5oz brown sugar, 1tsp gr. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp gr ginger 1/8 tsp each of clove and nutmeg. 1/2tsp salt. Beat in 2 eggs and 12floz double cream and 3tbsp rum. Pour into pastry and bake  till knife inserted comes out clean - about 45 mins.

Maybe your variety is a carving / soup type and not the best for puds. Hope you get an outcome that you like - its rubbish when a long anticipated idea goes wrong, isn't it?

[matilda333]

Hi Catllar thanks for your reply.

perhaps ill give it another go using the recipe youve provided. The recipe i used sounds quite similar to yours, not sure how they compare quantity-wise.
I think the other thing that put me off was i didnt have a blender at the time, so attempted to puree the pumpkin using a potato masher!! so it wasnt as smooth as perhaps it should have been- giving the porridge texture!! mm! 

yes, it was very disappointing when, as you, say- a long anticipated idea comes out rubbish! excellently summerised! Im determined not to just have pumpkins for carving though (did you know after oct 30th/31st pumpkins arent even PICKED from the field for supermarket provision, such a waste)
..back to the drawing board for me!

[Yorkie]

I tried it once and wasn't impressed.  If I try again I'll use pumpkin puree from the supermarket, but that rather defeats the object of trying to use up one's own pumpkins!

[catllar]

I tried it once and wasn't impressed.  If I try again I'll use pumpkin puree from the supermarket, but that rather defeats the object of trying to use up one's own pumpkins!

I wouldn't have dreamed say that on a gardening forum, but that's what I do if no fresh stuff to hand!

[1st time veg grower]

This is the recipe I used: www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinpie_70659 First year, I used the shop bought ready made sweet pastry and pressed in the crushed pecans rather than buying the pastry case. In my latest offering I made the pastry myself and added the pecans- I'm still not great at pastry but getting better! Both offerings did work at least and certainly weren't sloppy how you describe. I also have a version that you serve warm and in that one you add breadcrumbs and evaporated milk to the puree but I haven't tried that one yet as I have stuck with this.

At first, the taste wasn't what I expected but think that was simply more about the concept of a vegetable in a sweet pie. I have to say I do really like it now (even though I don't really like Worrall Thompson!) and as I have plenty of pumpkin this year I do plan to make another!

[eli]

hiya matilda :-)
its pretty likely that the lack of blender was one of the main issues.
it makes such a massive and crucial difference to the texture.
its similar to makin hummous with a potato masher instead of a blender, you get an approximation of the right kind of thing but just not quite the right kind of thing.

[matilda333]

hehe... "one of the main issues

Thanks for all of your responses..
I have not been put off however, and now own a blender (woopie!!).

On the plus side, my chocolate and courgette cake was a hit 

[eli]

i didn't mean that to sound wierd or owt!!
i meant that someone had already mentioned that pumpkin variety might be not-so-good for your purpose, i could've elabprated in my post :-)!
sorry if offended ;-)

[Junie]

I always use the carving pumpkins, if it seems runny when purred I just add another egg, I have never had a very sloppy pie.  They are a different taste but we love them,  Cannot imagine putting meringue on the top though, that would make it too sweet for me!
I always bake some mini ones for Halloween - the kids love them and normally come back again once they have plucked up the courage to try one!

[matilda333]

Not offended eli, it made me chuckle!

making mini ones sounds like something to try...perhaps ill update you all after attempt no.2!

[catllar]

I always use the carving pumpkins, if it seems runny when purred I just add another egg, I have never had a very sloppy pie.  They are a different taste but we love them,  Cannot imagine putting meringue on the top though, that would make it too sweet for me!
I always bake some mini ones for Halloween - the kids love them and normally come back again once they have plucked up the courage to try one!

The most popular use for pumpkin here is for  soup. It's only us crazy foreigners who use if for sweet things. Having said that I agree with Junie, our french neighbours are usually converted and requesting a recipe once they  tried it. Have also introduced them to roast pumpkin too - with a bit of brown sugar and chilli.

[1st time veg grower]

I always bake some mini ones for Halloween - the kids love them and normally come back again once they have plucked up the courage to try one!

Thanks for this suggestion - for me, living alone this is genuis. I love pumpkin pie have only usually made it in the past when I have people over to help me eat it. So, I made some individual pumpkin pies yesterday and have shoved them (well, those that haven't been scoffed already) in the freezer to eat when I want. So just wanted to say thanks - excellent idea.

[Junie]

Glad to be of assistance. 

[chrissie B]

all the thanksgiving progs ive watched majority said to use tinned pumpkin for its covinients butt seems a shame if youve spent loads of time growing them .
chrissie b