Stewed Pompions or Pumpkins ORIGINAL RECIPE But the housewives’ manner is to slice them when ripe, and cut them into dice, and so fill a pot with them of two or three gallons, and stew them upon a gentle fire a whole day; and, as they sink, they fill again with fresh pompions, not putting any liquor to them; and, when it is stew’d enough. It will look like bak’d apples. This they dish; putting butter to it, and a little vinegar (with some spice, as ginger, &c.); which makes it tart, like an apple; and so serve it up, to be eaten with fish or flesh. SOURCE New England’s Rarities Discovered MODERN ADAPTATION 1 small pumpkin or winter squash (this should make about 2 cups cooked) 1tbsp. water 1 tsp. ginger 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp. butter Pinch of salt Directions Rinse pumpkin and divide in half. Scoop out seeds* and stringy bits. Peel pumpkin and cut into 1” cubes. Fill small crockpot with as much pumpkin as will fit with lid on. Add 1 tbsp. water and lid. Turn on crockpot. Let pumpkin slowly reduce adding more pumpkin as space allows. Cook until pumpkin is soft and broken down, like home-style applesauce. 8-10 hours. Sieve cooked pumpkin to drain excess water. Return pumpkin to crockpot or separate bowl. Melt in butter, seasoning with ginger, apple cider vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Serve warm along with meats like beef or pork, or on its own! *For an extra treat, save these seeds for roasting. Early Americans would separate and dried seeds from foods like pumpkins and squash for planting the following year. Not all seeds are worth saving though, round convex seeds may grow, but the flat ones will not. Families may also only choose to save the seeds from pumpkins with desirable characteristics such as length of storage or good size and shape. INGREDIENTS - 1 small pumpkin or winter squash (this should make about 2 cups cooked) 1tbsp. water 1 tsp. ginger 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp. butter Pinch of salt - Directions - *For an extra treat, save these seeds for roasting. Early Americans would separate and dried seeds from foods like pumpkins and squash for planting the following year. Not all seeds are worth saving though, round convex seeds may grow, but the flat ones will not. Families may also only choose to save the seeds from pumpkins with desirable characteristics such as length of storage or good size and shape. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Rinse pumpkin and divide in half. 2. Scoop out seeds* and stringy bits. 3. Peel pumpkin and cut into 1” cubes. 4. Fill small crockpot with as much pumpkin as will fit with lid on. 5. Add 1 tbsp. water and lid. Turn on crockpot. 6. Let pumpkin slowly reduce adding more pumpkin as space allows. 7. Cook until pumpkin is soft and broken down, like home-style applesauce. 8-10 hours. 8. Sieve cooked pumpkin to drain excess water. 9. Return pumpkin to crockpot or separate bowl. 10. Melt in butter, seasoning with ginger, apple cider vinegar and a good pinch of salt. 11. Serve warm along with meats like beef or pork, or on its own! Non-personal archive pmurad December 24, 2002 at 12:06 PM