I wish I could find this variety again!

I had every intention of canning my pie pumpkins yesterday. I got up and made my coffee and toast, then turned on YouTube on the TV to search for videos about canning pumpkin. I came across a channel called the Homesteading Family. They have lots of how-to videos. As I watched, I learned some things I didn’t know about pumpkins.

Those big pumpkins you buy to carve and decorate with really aren’t the best for baking and cooking. They aren’t very sweet and they are pretty stringy. I’ve tried making pies with them in the past and was always disappointed in the finished product. They were fairly flavorless and had little of that rich pumpkin color you see in the canned pumpkin you buy in the store. 

I finally discovered pie pumpkins a couple of years ago. Actually, the first “pie pumpkin” I ever bought was at a Farmer’s Market in Aspen. It was about eighteen inches in diameter but only about five inches high and was a deep, burnished red-orange color. The flesh was also a deep orange and slightly sweet. It was an heirloom variety they called a “French Pie Pumpkin” and I’ve never seen another one like it. It made the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had and I’m determined to find seed for next year.

Upon Googling “French Pie Pumpkins”, I came across a photo with my pumpkin! This is what it says about them:

ROUGE VIF D’ETAMPES PUMPKIN

These bright orange-red pumpkins are known as “Rouge Vif d’Etampes.” The name comes from the meaning “rouge vif” which in French is “vivid red.” Also known as “Cinderella” pumpkins, they are slightly sweet and make a great ingredient for pumpkin pie. The variety dates back to the late 1800’s, when they were the most common pumpkins in the Central Market in Paris.

But, that is for another time. I currently have five round pie pumpkins that are commonly referred to as Sugar Pie Pumpkins. I learned in the video that pumpkins need to cure for a while before you cook with them. They should be stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight for a few weeks. This allows the skin to harden and the flesh to develop the maximum amount of sugars and reduce stringiness.

So, the pumpkins are going down in the basement till early November and I can turn my attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, both yesterday and today were/are tied up with errands in town. Mr. FixIt and I went to one of my favorite farm stores yesterday. Rural King sells everything you could possibly need for a homestead and I love browsing the aisles to see what they have. At this time of year, they not only have pallets of decorating pumpkins out front, but they also have huge bins of apples, onions, and potatoes for sale inside. 

I bought four bags of apples yesterday to make apple pie filling for canning. Another thing I learned about through YouTube was a product called ClearGel. Not to be confused with SureJel, ClearGel is a thickener used for desserts and pie fillings and produces a translucent filling that isn’t gummy. It’s loose enough to allow the heat to penetrate the filling in the jar in order to safely preserve the contents. I had to order it through mail order and it’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, then I can proceed.

In the meantime, I’ll continue gathering what we need for our trip. I won’t know what to do with myself at the beach, what with nothing to can or preserve. I’m taking my knitting and do nothing but visit and knit and sit by the ocean!

❤️

“Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 CEV