Eat Seasonally in October: Cooking With Pumpkin

You know it's October when pumpkins start appearing at the entrance to the grocery store. But there's a lot more to pumpkin than jack-o-lanterns or pie, let alone those seasonal drinks everyone seems to either love or hate. Cooking with pumpkin can get really creative.

Embrace the fall season with us and check out all the delicious ways to incorporate pumpkin into your meals in October.

Cooking With Pumpkin: Three Types of Pumpkins You Need to Know

All pumpkins are not the same. Just as brown sugar, white sugar, and powdered sugar all have different applications, so do pumpkin varieties.

Canned pumpkin comes from Dickinson pumpkins, which Libby's grows, harvests and processes. You can also buy Dickinson pumpkin seeds and grow your own. As you can see, they don't look like carving pumpkins or pie pumpkins. But contrary to internet rumors, they are pumpkins.

Pie pumpkins are also known as sugar pumpkins. They are smaller and rounder than either Dickinson pumpkins or carving pumpkins. Buy them at the market, or buy seeds and grow pie pumpkins on your own. They're ideal for roasting at home.

Carving pumpkins aren't usually good for eating -- neither the flesh nor the seeds. Connecticut field pumpkins are the exception; you can carve them for decoration or roast them to make pumpkin puree. If you can't confirm your jack-o-lantern is a Connecticut field pumpkin, enjoy it solely as a spooky decoration.

Cooking With Pumpkin: Roasting Do's and Don'ts

If you've got your hands on a few pie pumpkins and you're ready to try roasting, we recommend following the instructions on Oh She Glows. Angela's post includes all the details along with photos of each step. A few smart tips we should highlight:

1. Slice off the stem end of the pumpkin before cutting the whole pumpkin in half for roasting.

2. Don't try to peel the pumpkin before roasting. The skin easily peels away afterward.

3. The puree may be somewhat watery, so if you're going to use it in a pie or bread, strain it using cheesecloth first.

On the other hand, if you'd like to read some helpful lessons learned from a not-so-successful roasting experience, check out this post on The Kitchn from Stephanie. We love how honest she is about her missteps, as well as her newfound appreciation for Libby's canned pumpkin.

Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes to Try

One of the greatest things about cooking with pumpkin is how versatile it is. Like zucchini, pumpkin goes in both sweet and savory recipes. But unlike zucchini, you can scoop out pumpkin seeds and use those separately. Likewise, you can puree pumpkin flesh until it's smooth and incorporate it just about anywhere.

Savory Pumpkin and Bacon Dip from Chew Out Loud

Enjoy the savory side of pumpkin with this dip that includes cream cheese, green onions, and bacon, of course. Amy recommends serving with bread or crackers, but we're also tempted to dig into her dip with a pretzel twist.

Pumpkin Dip from My Baking Addiction

Sweeten up your pumpkin with confectioners' sugar in this dip that also includes cream cheese. We love Jamie's suggestion to serve with apple slices. Plus, we can envision this dip as a spread for sweet quick breads and muffins.

Pumpkin Seed Ideas from Chowhound

We honestly couldn't choose between these recipes featuring pumpkin seeds assembled by Chowhound. From sweet to savory, these recipes run the gamut, and they all call for pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas).

Pumpkin Spice Latte Layer Cake from The Baking Fairy

This cake is quite an undertaking, but look how impressive it is. We love the addition of espresso powder both to the cake and the frosting. Homemade caramel is a fantastic finishing touch, along with the carefully piped decorations. Make this cake for someone who claims to hate PSLs, and they just may change their tune.