When you’ve got a full-size, ridged, tough-skinned pumpkin on you hands what is the best way to get the pulp out for recipes? With pressure of course! While butternut squashes are easy to peel, and and acorn squashes have a skin that is thin enough most pumpkins and other winter squashes require more finesse to wrestle the tasty pulp out of the gourd. Your pressure cooker will do the heavy lifting in just 5 minutes at pressure. Here’s how to do it!
How to prep a pumpkin with a pressure cooker
- Slice the pumpkin or winter squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
- If the pumpkin is too large to fit in your pressure cooker, slice further into wedges.
- Add the minimum water your pressure cooker requires into the base – generally 1 1/2 cups (375ml) for electric pressure cooker and 1 cup (250ml) for stove top pressure cooker.
- Then, arrange the wedges skin-side down if possible – you may need to do additional batches if you can’t get all of the wedges to fit at the same time.
- Pressure cook for just 5 minutes and release pressure Normally – through the valve.
- Using tongs, transfer the wedges to a cutting board or large bowl. Using a spoon, just scoop out the pulp to use in your recipe. Save the pumpkin juice and steaming liquid to use in place of stock or broth in a future recipe.
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Is there anything you can do if the skin is too hard to safely cut the squash in the first place? Can you put the whole thing in the pressure cooker (if it fits) and will that help cut it up?
Also, when you say “normally, through the valve” you mean by quick-releasing the pressure rather than natural release, correct?
Thank you!
After determinjng the naural “up” position of the squash, I poke a vent hole (or 2-3) on the top side of the squash using screwdriver/ice pick & hammer. Squash then gets set on a large plate, vent with holes facing up, and goes in microwave for 5 minutes or longer, depending on size of squash. After the short steaming, the skin should be soft enough to safely cut it in half with a study knife and remove seeds with an ice cream scoop melon baller, or sturdy spoon. Most of flesh will still require more cooking, either in pressure cooker or oven.
Yes that is Correct. Laura uses 6 different terms for releasing pressure. She uses them consistently, ut they may be different to the terms in your manual.
Read about them here:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/now-release-pressure/
I would NOT recommend putting a whole pumpkin into a PC. There is an outside chance it could explode since it is effectively a sealed container. I have yet to come across one that won’t yield to a cleaver. Or at worst case, an axe.
Howdy from Portland, OR. I am the proud owner of a Duo-80, and bought the great book Hip Pressure Cooking too! I read this post yesterday on pumpkins and my wife was on a time crunch, wanting to work over some butternut squash and sweet potatoes.
Long story short, placed 3 cups of water and wire trivet thing, in bottom of my Instant Pot, turning it to “Sauté” to speed heating, while preparing squash. In less than 12 minutes it was heated up, went into manual 5 minute high pressure cook mode! Normal venting, took lid off and blew my mind. The squash and sweet potatoes were done and we could scrape the meat away from the skin, as soon as it cooled down! Love my Duo-80! Best investment I ever made!
I am a senior guy, who never was taught how to cook very much; broken home raised by a wonderful Dad. I purchased this so I could prepare a weeks meals at one time, no regrets!
IMHO, this is the best cooking investment a family could make, for their improved health and time saving convenience !
Tom, Portland, OR.
Thanks for sharing your story, Tom. Join us in the forums – we’d love to hear about your “cook once a month” trials and stragegies!
Ciao,
L
I stick whole spaghetti squash in my stove top pressure cooker all the time. The hard shell peels right off and I scoop out the seeds. It usually takes about 15 minutes.
Can you make a stew inside a small pumpkin in the pressure cooker?
first try with new pot….wondering how to cook spare ribs and sauerkraut?
then separate how to cook turnip?
Joyce, click on “recipes” on the menu and you’ll find how to do ribs. Also, turnips. : )
Ciao,
L