Pumpkin

waswoods, May 4, 5:54am
I used to hate cooking pumpkin becaue I can't cut them and then I'd either have to ask hubby to cut it or I'd drop it from the upstairs onto the concrete below and I'd get lots of "chunks". Now I just take the whole pumkin and put it in the microwave and cook it until it's soft enough to slice and peel
unknowndisorder, May 4, 6:35am
You don't have to peel it, it's easier when it's cooked (and some of us eat the peel lol).
I think that was why mum hated cooking it, as she badly cut her elbow (to the bone) one day peeling it.
Microwaves are also good for giving lemons a quick burst (30 seconds) to make it easier for juicing.
hezwez, May 4, 6:38am
That's what I do with coconuts after I've drained the milk. :-)
greerg, May 4, 7:52am
It pays to pierce the lemons first and microwave them on a plate to catch any leakage. Husband spectacularly exploded some a while ago and I wouldn't have believed you could spread lemons so far,
waswoods, May 4, 8:09am
I do eat pumpkin skins but the men (hubby and two teenage sons) don't so I have to peel it for them!
beaker59, May 4, 8:33am
An emergency dept Nurse once told me they dread the Pumkin soup season as they get some major lacerations. Enough to keep Nana in stitches EH!
dollmakernz, May 4, 9:15am
I cut my arm trying cut a pumpkin a few weeks ago so dropped it outside on the concrete and the bloody thing bounced! ! ! ! ! ! ! After a major fight I finally managed to get a wedge of it cut and cooked and it was so dry it was inedible! GRRRRR!
unknowndisorder, May 4, 9:38am
You're way too nice. Hubby has to peel his own if it bothers him that much (then again, he's only recently started eating pumpkin, which is good & bad - means I can't steal it off his plate any more).
Dollmakernz: Hope you're okay after that. I still remember mum doing it and it must be over 30 years ago when it happened. Them pumpkins can be right nasty beasts.
buzzy110, May 5, 12:56am
Peeling is simple. Use your potato peeler. Couldn't be easier.

As for cutting, if you don't have a decent, high quality knife, and most people don't, then take it to the garden shed, select a spade, clean it and spear/jab or otherwise push it through your pumpkin. Easy peasy. I know an 80 year old lady who does her pumpkins this way.
wineo, Apr 1, 8:58am
Contrary to logic if you cut the pumpkin with a sharp SMALL knife (not serated) it is very easy to cut in half. You then need to use large knife from there, been doing it this way for years works a treat, give it a go.