How To Clean A Pumpkin For Cooking

Ready to learn how to clean a pumpkin for a pie? Many people love the end process of a pie but don't know that there are some actual cleaning processes and steps that take place to get it clean and ready to enjoy.

Once you learn these pumpkin cleaning tips, you'll have the tastiest and cleanest pumpkin pie, ever!

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Should you wash off the outside of a pumpkin?

In my experience, yes. Anytime that you're bringing anything into your kitchen that you're going to cut into and eat, washing off the outside of it before you start cutting into it or cooking it is always a good idea.

This is for several reasons, the biggest is that you don't know what has come in contact with the outside peel of your pumpkin. And what that means is that if you cut into your pumpkin with a knife without thoroughly cleaning the outside, you're then dragging whatever may be on your knife blade into the inside of the pumpkin as you cut it as well.

Gross, right? This is why I always clean off and wash the outside of my pumpkin. No exceptions, the outer shell of the pumpkin is sturdy enough to sustain washing even with a brush or scrubber.

What do you use to clean the outside of your pumpkin?

Anything that you want, really. You can use a rag or a towel or even a gentle vegetable brush as well.

Use clean warm water with a some mild kitchen detergent for an added boost. You can also use a vinegar and water solution to help remove any bacteria or gunk that's lingering on the pumpkin skin.

How To Clean A Pumpkin For A Pie

Once you've cleaned the outside of the pumpkin for your pie, it's time to work your way to the inside.

Start by cutting the pumpkin in half and scooping out all the seeds. An ice cream scoop or a simple spoon work best for this. (If you have kids, they'll love to use their hands to scoop out the "guts", too!)

The biggest tip to remember when cleaning a pumpkin to cook is that the inside of the pumpkin needs to be smooth and free of seeds.

How do you know when your pumpkin is ripe?

There are some signs for telling the ripeness of your pumpkin that is similar to how you tell if a watermelon is ripe.

First off, the pumpkin should be a bright orange color and be heavy and solid to the touch.

If you notice any type of soft spots or brown spots, move on and don't choose that pumpkin.

It either has rotten spots on the inside of the pumpkin or has a big bruise that will be bigger once you cut it open and look inside.

The other way to tell if your pumpkin is ripe is to knock on it and listen for that heavy, hollow sound. This is your indicator that your pumpkin should be picked, cleaned, and prepped to make your pie!

Do pumpkins ripen off the vine?

They do, but for the best producing and tasting pumpkin, try and let them ripen on the vine for as long as possible.

Think of it as their feeding source, in a way, and when that pumpkin is attached to that vine, it's getting pumped full of nutrients that will be transferred to your pie and other recipes!

Another pin showing a bunch of pumpkins and pumpkin pie with the post title in the middle.

Wondering if you can use face pumpkins for pie? You definitely can! You can also use face pumpkins for this delicious dinner in a pumpkin recipe!

More Pumpkin Recipes

If you are looking for even more great ways to use pumpkin in your kitchen here are some recipes to help! I love to make use of pumpkins during the fall when they're easy to get at the farmers market and cheap!

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are such a tasty dish that takes minimal effort.

If you love that pumpkin taste, don't miss out on this Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe.

Last but not least, these No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bites are going to be the hit of the season!