A fun part of the fall season is purchasing big fresh pumpkins! I always look forward to cooking at least one every year. Here is how I prepare my pumpkin!

Supplies

To prepare my pumpkin, I need:

large pumpkin

pressure cooker

trivet

1 cup water

sharp knife

tongs

2 large plates

fork

big spoon

freezer containers

1 quart saucepan

colander

Step 1: Preparing the Pumpkin.

1. Place 1 cup water in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add a trivet.

2. Cut the pumpkin into big chunky pieces. Discard the top and the bottom pieces. Set the seeds aside.

3. Add pumpkin pieces to the pressure cooker.

Step 2: Pressure Cook the Pumpkin.

1. Pressure cook the pumpkin for 10 minutes until fork tender and the skin pulls away.

2. Discard the skins. On a plate, smash the cooked pumpkin with a fork. Repeat the process with remaining pumpkin pieces, adding more water if necessary.

3. Place cooked pumpkin into freezer containers to freeze until ready to use.

Step 3: Preparing the Pumpkin Seeds.

1. Rinse the pumpkin seeds well in a colander, removing any pulp.

2. Place the seeds in water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain well and dry the seeds.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

4. Place seeds on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Season with any flavor seasoning that you enjoy. I used barbecue seasoning. Stir the seeds and spread evenly on the baking sheet.

Step 4: Roast the Seeds.

Bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned.

Step 5: Here Is a Bonus!

My husband's favorite dessert is my Crunchy Pumpkin Pudding made with my freshly cooked pumpkin! Here is the recipe. Enjoy it!

Crunchy Pumpkin Pudding

2 cups cooked pumpkin

3/4 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla; mix well. In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture; mix well. Transfer to casserole dish.

4. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until almost set.

5. Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over pumpkin.

6. Bake, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through.