How to peel a pumpkin?

If you happen to buy a fresh pumpkin to cook and aren't quite sure what to do with it, here's an easy step-by-step guide with pictures on how to peel, seed and cut. a fresh pumpkin.

This technique prepares the pumpkin for dicing for roasting, steaming or sautéing.

What is a pumpkin?

The pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) is a squash native to the subtropical regions of South America (Argentina-Bolivia-Uruguay) where it was first domesticated

Pumpkin is widely grown as a vegetable for its edible fruit when ripe. This word also refers to this fruit eaten as a vegetable. It is one of the five most widely grown squash species.

The shape of the pumpkin is more or less flattened, its color ranges from pale yellow to dark green depending on its maturity. Its weight can climb up to 768 kilos . Its peduncle is soft and spongy, cylindrical and flared near the fruit.

Unlike pumpkin, pumpkin flesh is sweeter, tastier and less stringy.

How to peel, core and cut a pumpkin step by step.

Rinse your pumpkin before peeling it

The pumpkin is grown on a vine in a field, on the ground, in the dirt, and therefore may have residue on it when you bring it back from the farm or market. Wash her as soon as you bring her home so that there is no more dirt on her skin. If you don't, the dirt (which contains spores) may rot the pumpkin.

Cut the top and bottom of the pumpkin

First, make sure your cutting board doesn't slip by placing a sticky mat or damp paper towel under the board.
Use your sharpest chef's knife to cut the fresh pumpkin.
Trim the top and bottom of the pumpkin to provide flat, stable cutting surfaces.

It can be tricky to cut out the area around the hollow on the bottom of the pumpkin (like a hole in the bottom of a wine bottle), but you can easily cut it out in a later step, so skip it for now .

Peel the pumpkin with a peeler

Use a Y-shaped or multi-purpose vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the pumpkin, flat end to flat end, in long strips a few inches thick.

If you don't have a vegetable peeler, you can use a sharp paring knife. In this case, put the pumpkin upside down (flat side down) and remove the strips by directing the blade of the knife towards the cutting board.

Cut the pumpkin in half in half

Lay the pumpkin on the cutting board on one of the flat sides.
Cut the pumpkin with your sharp knife, right in the center.
Be careful not to press the end of the knife tip without using a kitchen towel to protect your palm.

Remove the seeds from the pumpkin

To scoop out pumpkin seeds, hold a spoon in your hand, with the bowl of the spoon down or away from you.

Hold the cut pumpkin half firmly against the cutting board and scrape out the innards of the pumpkin (also called seeds) with a spoon.

You can wash them and roast them with oil, salt and pepper for a healthy snack. For a sweet and savory treat, you can make these Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds.

Cut into half moon shapes

Place your pumpkin, hollow side down, on the cutting board.
Cut the pumpkin into strips as wide as your recipe calls for. If your recipe doesn't specify a measurement, we recommend peeling the pumpkin in strips as wide as the flesh is thick. This way it will cook evenly.

Cut the pumpkin into cubes

One strip at a time, cut the pumpkin half-moons into cubes.
Work from left to right and keep the cutting area clear.
Keep your fingertips under your knuckles and the tip of the knife close to the board.

Here is your pumpkin is peeled, cut and ready to be cooked. Thank you and see you soon !

The team of my-peeler-vegetables.fr