Growing Pumpkins and Recipes

Grow your own pumpkins is easy. Fresh pumpkins not only make funny or scary Jack o' lanterns for Halloween, but make delicious homemade pumpkin recipes too. Don't throw away the seeds, roast them in the oven for a tasty snack.

Having grown pumpkins in the past with not the best luck, we planted two pumpkin plants on my sister-in-laws farm. Hoping to get a couple good pumpkins out of it, we soon found the pumpkin plants overran about 75% of the huge garden. At this moment, we have over a dozen large ripe pumpkins ready to be picked with another dozen still growing.

The into photo is one of many Halloween Pumpkin Postcards available here by Sandyspider Gifts on Zazzle.

Most pumpkin recipes begin with pumpkin puree. Here is an easy way to make puree from a garden fresh pumpkin. Medium ripe pumpkins make the best choice. Large pumpkins are grainier.

Steps to making puree:

1. Cut open the pumpkin and remove the seeds and fibrous strings.

2. Cut the pumpkin into four to eight pieces.

3. Line a large baking pan aluminum foil.

4. Place the pumpkin pieces, rind side up, onto the baking pan.

5. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for one to 1 1/2 hours, or until pulp is soft.

6. Scoop the soft pulp from the rind with a spoon. Discard the rind.

7. Use a blender to give the pulp a smooth texture. Place the puree into cheesecloth, and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Leftover puree can be frozen.

The Pumpkin and Cupcake image is the most popular that sells for the Halloween products on 3DRose for Sandy Mertens. The Pumpkin and Cupcakes Mug is a nice addition with matching coasters. Why drink coffee out of an ordinary mug when an imprinted mug is so much cooler? Microwave safe, FDA approved. Image is printed on both sides of the mug.

Find this mug and many more on the pumpkin and Halloween mugs on the

Sandy Mertens Halloween Food Designs Mug page here.

Cool looking Pumpkin Veggie Face Mug is available here You must see this one.

Pumpkin Seeds and Mix Postcard - Click Here by Sandyspider Gifts on Zazzle.

Instructions for roasting pumpkin seeds

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings.
2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat.
3. Sprinkle with salt or other seasoning and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

How to plant the seeds

Place seeds or plants in a sunny area. These plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. Begin planting when the temperatures have been constantly in the low 70s.

If planting from seeds; plant 4 to 5 seeds in a circle and space the seeds about 6 to 8 inches apart. It is recommended to mound the soil around the pumpkin seeds.

Cover the seeds with about an inch of loosely packed soil. Water lightly. Once the pumpkins begin to spout they need a good amount of water. Make sure to water pumpkins every few days.

Once Pumpkins become a plant, make sure they are spaced at least one foot apart. Depending upon the variety you choose it takes 85 to 125 days to grow a pumpkin.