I was referring mostly to cheap supermarket pumpkins. If you grow your own or buy from an ethical/organic farmer you will notice a difference.
You can still cook or bake with the cheap ones but they won't be as good. Most pumpkin sales are purely for lantern carving, not many people buy them for cooking with. Any small squash would be better for this purpose.
In my local supermarket people are buying trolleys full of them- you can't tell me they are using them for cooking!
We adore pumpkin pie. Someone gave me a recipe after she'd made it for us all - yummy.
What's your recipe, Chardy?
A friend and I made them like an open flan, an egg custard tart but with puréed pumpkin added, nutmeg etc. It was ok but I've never made another one.
Got to own up, and say my daughter is the cook. The recipe was photocopied out of a book - no idea which one! It's very similar to preppykitchen.com/pumpkin-pie-2/ Enjoy
I use the Halloween pumpkin the day after, to make a Thai style soup - onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli pastes, coconut milk. Maybe some potato and/or swede added, blitzed in the pan. Delish!
I disagree, pumpkins are high in nutrients; high in fibre, potassium, and vitamins just like any other in the squash family.
While the carving pumpkins are larger and not as sweet, they still can be cooked. I will bake one, then mash the flesh to use in baking and to add to the dog's food. She loves it.
While I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, I have several cake and muffin recipes.
Some of us may be helping grandchildren carve pumpkins for Hallowe'en, but even if not, pumpkins are cheap and plentiful in the shops at this time of year.
Most pumpkins are not eaten but there are many recipes for pumpkin soup, roast pumpkin, pumpkin pie etc. I think it's more traditional to eat pumpkins in other countries than in the UK but why throw most of the pumpkin away when we can make a meal of them?