How to Bake Pumpkin
Simple oven-baked pumpkin with just a little salt.
Since I've heard many people complaining that they can't find pumpkin "like in the old days", sweet and aromatic, I've included a photo of my favorite pumpkin for baking and a foolproof way to "test" the pumpkin before taking it home. Like watermelon, if you like it you take it, if not, try another piece.
Ingredients
pumpkin slices (cut to a thickness of 5-6 cm)
a little oil
a little coarse sea salt
How to prepare how to bake pumpkin
- How to choose the pumpkin. For baking, I prefer pumpkin with greenish-gray skin (see photo 1). I always buy it from the market to be sure it's starchy and sweet. Usually at the market it's cut into slices and can be tasted. To test it you need a knife (I always carry this knife in my purse 😋) with which you scrape a little of the pumpkin flesh (see photo 2). Taste what you've scraped. You'll immediately feel if it's aromatic (intense aroma like cantaloupe) and sweet. If you've never done this you'll need to try several pieces to compare the aroma. After a few tries you'll know what to look for.
- How to bake the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin into thick slices (about 5-6 cm). Brush the pumpkin slices with a little oil and sprinkle sea salt all over.
- Arrange in the baking tray, if possible standing on the skin (this way they'll form a crust everywhere), but those that won't stand can be placed lying down.
- Bake at 200°C for 1 hour (until a fork easily pierces the flesh; start checking after 30 minutes). Turn the lying ones halfway through baking. If you want them more golden, you can turn on the oven grill in the last 5 minutes of baking.
* If you want them done faster, you can cut the pumpkin into thinner slices, somewhere between 2-3 cm, and then they'll bake in 30 minutes. - It's good warm or cold.
My favorite pumpkin for baking (sweet, aromatic and starchy)
How to test the pumpkin
