“Pumpkins produce warm pies, butter, cookies, bread and side dishes. They are loaded with an excellent source of nutrients. The bright orange color tells you that it is full of the important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Research shows that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene can reduce the risk of developing many types of diseases,” says Angela Paymard, Chairwoman of the Orlando based, N2N Global. Paymard’s Florida based company provides operations compliance and food safety solutions for food companies, which helps ensure the world’s food supply operates in an efficient and effective manner, resulting in a higher quality of food in the supply chain. Paymard works with restaurants, retailers, distributers, packers and processors around the world. If you have kids, it’s a good idea to let them have a pumpkin for carving and choose another for cooking. It certainly is safe to let them use the seeds from the one they have carved. The best pumpkins for eating are the ones that are heavy for their size. Preparing your Pumpkin:
Start with clean hands and wash the pumpkin in cool water to remove any surface dirt. Using a sharp knife, remove the stem, then scoop out the seeds and scrape away all of that stringy stuff. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and rinse in cold water. Now you can boil, bake; even microwave the pumpkin, whatever your favorite recipe calls for. If you are not going to eat your pumpkin right away, make a puree by putting the peeled pumpkin into the food processor. Puree freezes well. Place it in plastic bags, and be sure to label and date them. In the freezer it will last up to a year. “If you don’t want to puree the pumpkin, cut into slices, and boil it before freezing. That will yield the safest and best quality of food,” Paymard says. Freezing Facts:
-Freezing does not destroy nutrients.
-Freshness and quality at the time of freezing can affect frozen foods.
-Freeze items you won’t use quickly, sooner than later.
-To successfully freeze vegetables, partially cook them in boiling water or in the microwave oven. Then chill them quickly before freezing and storing. With mashed or pureed pumpkin, canning is not recommended. Pumpkin is a low acid food that is capable of building bacteria if stored in the wrong conditions. If the pumpkin is cubed or sliced, however, canning in a sealed, pressure container is safe. Pumpkins seeds are also a very popular fall treat. After they are removed from the pumpkin, the seeds must be checked to make sure there is no excess pumpkin tissue. Once the seeds are clean, dry them of all moisture either under the sun or in a dehydrator. Seeds should not be stored with excess moisture. You can safely bake them once they are dry. You can certainly make pumpkin preserves. It’s a popular and safe use of pumpkins; however, care must be taken into the preservation. Due to the low acidity of pumpkins, there must be a substantial amount of sugar or added acid to ensure safety and inhibit the build-up of bacteria. The coming of the fall season brings these fresh, tasty pumpkin treats for all food lovers. N2N Global offers these tips in the preservation of pumpkins to ensure your safety and those around you. About N2N Global
N2N Global’s product suite brings powerful solutions for all members of the food supply chain. For Supply Side companies, N2N offers agri-ERP solutions, farm management, food safety, business analytics and traceability software. For direct to consumer and buy side companies, N2N offers food safety, compliance, and asset tracking tools to help ensure the food supply is properly managed for minimized risk. N2N Global provides comprehensive solutions for companies looking for ways to improve efficiencies, enhance profitability, and ensure food safety. To contact Angela Paymard directly, visit her on N2N’s twitter page http://www.twitter.com/n2nglobal. For more information, please visit http://www.n2nglobal.com.