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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Extension Today: Cooking with Apples and Pumpkins

 

 

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegie? Technically, it’s both!

Apples and pumpkins – two quintessential fall items! There are many ways to incorporate apples and pumpkins into your fall decorations, menu, and even home horticulture efforts.

When it comes to tasty treats this fall, we’ve provided just a couple of recipes to get you going. But there are SO many options for bringing apple and pumpkin flavors to your table!

COOK AT HOME!
We have some recipes you can try at home  and make your own kitchen smell wonderful as you create tasty treats!

To get started, you can roast your own pumpkin. Here's how! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut a pie pumpkin in half, place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The pumpkin is ready when the outer skin can be pierced with a fork. Let the pumpkin cook for 10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, and puree it in a food processor or blender. You can store pumpkin puree in the refrigerator up to five days or freeze it.

pumpkin dip recipe

Air frying apple slices – here’s how we did it! Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice apples into approximately ¼-inch thick slices, leaving the skin on the slices. Spray apple slices lightly with cooking oil/spray. Place a layer into the air fryer and cook for 8 minutes total, turning the slices over halfway through. Option: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook them on a baking sheet in your oven at 400 degrees.

GET THE FACTS!
Pumpkin  fruit or vegetable? Learn more via some basic biological facts from fruitsandvegies.org, although you can look up the explanation via several entities.

We have several free fact sheets available on Ohioline to learn more about cooking with and using apples and pumpkins at home:

LEARN MORE!
Fall is a great itme for apples and pumpkins, but several other popular fruits and vegetables are in-season this time of year as well. Learn more in this Chow Line post.

Enjoy apples, but don't forget about other fruits too! Read more on Chow Line.

Learn tips for putting more fruit on your plate.

A bushel or a peck? Ever had someone ask you if you want a peck of apples? Just what is a peck, and where did the term come from? The “peck” has been used as a volume measurement of dry ingredients for centuries. A peck of apples is about 2 gallons of apples (or two small bags of apples) that weigh about 10-12 pounds. It takes four pecks to make up a bushel, for a total of about 8 gallons and 48 pounds. It seems that there are as many explanations of a “bushel and a peck” as there are pounds in a bushel. Learn more for yourself – do a Google search online and see what you can find out!

CONNECT WITH OUR EXPERTS!
The Buckeye Environmental Horticulture Team provides education and resources to support the home yard and gardening public, as well as green industry professionals. Team members are local Extension educators who offer public programs (virtual and in-person) about a variety of gardening topics, help diagnose plant problems and offer solutions, support local Master Gardener Volunteers and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, and partner with other horticulture professionals and associations.

Ask a question of our Master Gardener Volunteers – a group of Ohio gardening enthusiasts who are extensively trained in horticulture, then volunteer their time to answer your yard and garden questions online, as well as help with educational programs and activities for Ohio residents through their local OSU Extension county office.

Search our list of CFAES faculty experts online.

CONNECT WITH YOUR FELLOW PUMPKIN AND APPLE ENTHUSIASTS! 
There are many pumpkin celebrations throughout the state, but perhaps the best known Ohio event celebrating all things pumpkin is the Circleville Pumpkin Show, and we would be remiss to not mention it. See for yourself some of the more than 100,0000 pounds of pumpkins, squash, and gourds on display during the Show. It's coming up on October 20-23, 2021; and if you cannot make it this year, mark your calendar for 2022!

And don't forget to search online for one of many apple celebrations this fall. Hopefully there's something located close to you, so you can take the family on a day trip and celebrate one of our fall favorites!