At what temperature to bake a pumpkin

At what temperature to bake a pumpkin

A pumpkin is a bright and healthy vegetable that bears fruit in late autumn. There is a constant symbol of Halloween, even in our Russian-speaking regions there are many people who have cut a scary or funny pumpkin head at least once. Also, this vegetable was one of the first sweets in Russia. Our grandmothers and mothers still make pumpkin such sweetness as candied fruits.

Pumpkin on the table can be not only as a snack, but also as a main course or side dish. It is great for baking oven with various fillings in the form of meat, minced meat or cereals. Pumpkin will give its juices to a dish and serve as a plate or a beautiful shape for a festive feast.

Pumpkin is one of the few vegetables that do not lose their beneficial properties, vitamins and trace elements after heat treatment. If during cooking to observe the correct time and temperature, then the dish will be not only useful, but also tasty.

Whole Pumpkin

Before cooking, you need to prepare the pumpkin properly, it is not enough just to wash it. It is necessary to remove the "cap" and pull out all the excess with a spoon. After that, rinse the pumpkin outside and inside. Then smear with butter or vegetable oil inside. You can not throw out seeds, they are suitable not only for seedlings, but also for food.

After all the preparations, you need to pay attention to what kind of vegetable you got. If the skin is thick, then cooking will take 15 minutes longer than usual. Baking temperature depends on its size and takes at least an hour for a medium-sized pumpkin at a temperature of 200 degrees. But too big a pumpkin is better to cut into pieces.

Pumpkin Pieces

If you cut the vegetable into small pieces, the cooking time is greatly reduced. You can sprinkle with various spices like:

  • cinnamon;
  • nutmeg;
  • ginger;
  • cardamom;
  • mint;
  • saffron;
  • curry blends.

All spices perfectly shade the taste of pumpkin. You can experiment and make a list of new seasonings that will suit your taste.

Pumpkin slices baked for 20 minutes at 180 degrees. After that, you should not immediately get a treat, let it stand a little longer in the oven off. Also, if you expose the pieces to a small marinating, the cooking time will be reduced to 10-15 minutes.

You can pickle pumpkin in a mixture of oil and lemon juice with the addition of various seasonings. If you cover the pieces with foil, the cooking time will take 5-8 minutes, but after that it is better to leave the pieces to rest in the oven off for a few more minutes. So not a single piece will remain raw.

Pumpkin Secrets

  • Pumpkins with bright orange pulp are decorative and are not intended for human consumption.
  • A too big or small pumpkin will spoil the whole dish. In the first case, the pulp will be too watery and fibrous. And in the second case, the pulp may be immature. The best choice would be a vegetable in 3-5 kg ​​with light skin.
  • If you cut a pumpkin like a watermelon into pieces 2 cm thick, then cooking will take about an hour. For a small piece of time, respectively, less. Readiness can be checked with a fork: if the flesh is soft - ready.
  • Pumpkin does not have a bright taste, so it is worth actively using spices. You can also add meat, honey, lemon, sour berries or fruits.
  • In order for the pumpkin not to dry out at the bottom of the tank, you need to pour a small amount of water, but do not overdo it, otherwise the taste will be too fresh and watery.
  • Pumpkin is a dietary product, so you can safely add to it high-calorie meat or bacon.

Pumpkin Garnish

For the recipe you will need:

  • pumpkin pulp - 1, 5 kg;
  • olive oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
  • garlic - 2 cloves;
  • a mixture of seasonings and spices - to taste.

Method of preparation:

  • Wash and clean the pumpkin. Cut into small cubes.
  • Mix garlic, salt and spices separately.
  • Combine the mixture with pumpkin pieces.
  • Pour water into the bottom of the tank and put spicy pumpkin pieces there.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180-200 degrees.

Such a side dish is suitable for meat and fish, but can also serve as an independent dish. Pumpkin will not lose its taste in this recipe even when cooled.

Now all the secrets of the pumpkin in the kitchen are revealed. This useful autumn vegetable is fashionable to cook in different ways. You can make it sweet, salty or sour. To feed a child or an adult is also not difficult, even if before a person was suspicious of this vegetable. Try new recipes and don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Have a nice cooking!

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