In the Kitchen: Green Pumpkin Crisp

A lot of people were exposed to the idea of Green Pumpkin Pie (yes, made with under-ripe pie pumpkins) by the Little House On The Prairie Books.  For whatever reason, I didn’t read those books growing up, so my first exposure to it was through the blog One Hundred Dollars A Month. 

I had always wondered if you could do anything useful with green, under-ripe pumpkins, as we usually end up with a fair number of them when the first frost comes in mid-September and kills the plants. My google searches didn’t turn up anything particularly helpful, mostly just recipes using rare types of winter squash (not at all the same thing) or blogs talking about growing pumpkins. 

So when I ran across this recipe, I was fascinated, but also a little hesitant.  It sounds sort of gross, but you never know.  It sat in my recipe drawer for years, and then in a fit of motivation (and rage) one day after a pumpkin plant succumbed to a vine borer I decided to try it. 

The original recipe was for a pie, but not being one to follow instructions (or make crust) I altered the recipe.  I actually think it’s probably better this way, as there is more topping to balance out the pumpkin.  I could see the pumpkin being a little much in a crust, just because it’s not what people are used to. 

But if you have a green pumpkin and an adventurous streak, give it a try!  It really does taste like a mild apple crisp.  It’s quite good if you can get past the fact you’re eating a green pumpkin, and if you have a garden, uses up something that you would likely otherwise compost.  With our short growing season, we often end up with a number of green pumpkins that never have time to ripen.  They’re also good cooked similar to summer squash in soups and stews.

It’s worth making at least once as a novelty, but is good (and cheap) enough it might end up becoming a regular addition to your autumn desserts!

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It looked better before Andy tamped it down… He was trying to get as much in the bowl as he could.

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Green Pumpkin Crisp 

Filling:

5 cups unripe pumpkin, peeled and sliced slice into thin apple-sized slices) from a 3 lb pumpkin

1 cup sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar (it improves the taste, if you’re wondering)

3 tbs flour

Crisp Topping:

1 ½ c flour

¼ tsp salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted

½ c finely chopped nuts or 2 tbs finely ground flax seed

1 cup oats

For Filling:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut and peel pumpkin; I like to halve the pumpkin, and then scoop out the seeds.  Then I halve it again, and peel.  Cut the pumpkin into thin (1/8” thick) pieces.  They should be similar in size to apple slices. Be careful not to cut too thick as they’ll take a while to soften in the oven. Measure out 5 cups of pumpkin.

Place pumpkin into a large bowl, and add the sugar, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cream of tartar, and flour.  Stir well to combine.  Pour into a 9x13” baking dish.

For Crisp Topping:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and combine thoroughly.  Sprinkle the topping evenly over filling, spreading out to cover the entire pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (start checking a little early if your oven runs hot).  When the fruit is soft, remove from oven.  Careful not to under bake; if the pumpkin is still at all crunchy it really ruins the dessert. Let cool slightly.  Best served warm, and can be served with ice cream or whipped cream.