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eating jackolantern - yes, you can!
Oct. 29th, 2019 10:14 pmA few times I've researched this question on the internet. The internet generally comes back with either instructions on how to roast the seeds (which I recommend) or with a consensus response of "meh, yeah, you can eat the flesh of carving pumpkins, but why would you want to?"
On the latter point, I think the internet is being pretty silly.
Why would one want to eat jackolantern? Well, if you want to have a jackolantern in the first place, and you're not into wasting food, why wouldn't you?
Speaking from three years of experience, it turns out that the flesh is entirely edible and can be quite pleasant. Carving pumpkins are squashes and can be cooked and eaten in much the same way as other squashes. They vary in flavor. Some have a very mild flavor that takes other flavors very well. Others taste basically the way pumpkin smells and can hold their own with minimal seasoning.
Personally, I like salty flavors with my squash.
I just finished carving the white pumpkin that my spouse picked up from the farmers' market and when I was done I took the pieces that I'd cut out from the eyes, nose, and mouth, cut the outer rind off them (which on this pumpkin was unusually thick), chopped them up small, drizzled them with olive oil, and popped them in the microwave for a couple minutes. Then took them out, sprinkled on some fresh grated pecorino romano, and presto: delicious.
My spouse tried a bite and noted that this pumpkin wasn't bringing much flavor (I think that's fine - there's a place for bland foods, and the texture of the cooked pumpkin was tender and pleasant) but that it was in fact very similar to spaghetti squash, which is a fairly popular food.
Previous years I've done the same thing, and more of the pumpkin flavor came through.
Other ideas for things to do with the pumpkin pieces: cook and serve over pasta with your favorite seasonings, incorporate into a stir fry with other vegetables, put into a casserole.
Obviously you don't want to leave a carved jackolantern sitting out for days on end if you are planning to eat it, so you want to time things right. You also probably want to avoid eating the part that is directly above the candle so that you don't end up eating whatever is in the candle soot. But with a bit of planning (and willingness to not have a multi-day jackolantern), there's no reason why you can't build a number of good meals off of one jackolantern.
On the latter point, I think the internet is being pretty silly.
Why would one want to eat jackolantern? Well, if you want to have a jackolantern in the first place, and you're not into wasting food, why wouldn't you?
Speaking from three years of experience, it turns out that the flesh is entirely edible and can be quite pleasant. Carving pumpkins are squashes and can be cooked and eaten in much the same way as other squashes. They vary in flavor. Some have a very mild flavor that takes other flavors very well. Others taste basically the way pumpkin smells and can hold their own with minimal seasoning.
Personally, I like salty flavors with my squash.
I just finished carving the white pumpkin that my spouse picked up from the farmers' market and when I was done I took the pieces that I'd cut out from the eyes, nose, and mouth, cut the outer rind off them (which on this pumpkin was unusually thick), chopped them up small, drizzled them with olive oil, and popped them in the microwave for a couple minutes. Then took them out, sprinkled on some fresh grated pecorino romano, and presto: delicious.
My spouse tried a bite and noted that this pumpkin wasn't bringing much flavor (I think that's fine - there's a place for bland foods, and the texture of the cooked pumpkin was tender and pleasant) but that it was in fact very similar to spaghetti squash, which is a fairly popular food.
Previous years I've done the same thing, and more of the pumpkin flavor came through.
Other ideas for things to do with the pumpkin pieces: cook and serve over pasta with your favorite seasonings, incorporate into a stir fry with other vegetables, put into a casserole.
Obviously you don't want to leave a carved jackolantern sitting out for days on end if you are planning to eat it, so you want to time things right. You also probably want to avoid eating the part that is directly above the candle so that you don't end up eating whatever is in the candle soot. But with a bit of planning (and willingness to not have a multi-day jackolantern), there's no reason why you can't build a number of good meals off of one jackolantern.