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Do pumpkins lose their flavour with keeping? The last two batches of soup I've made, despite adding spices, have really been pretty tasteless. Any tips for using up my last couple? Think I'll stick to squash this year as they have more flavour.

A couple of spoonsful of ginger powder peps up almost anything.

Try tromba d'albenga next year mine still taste good, though some are better than others.

I've never thought that pumpkin flesh has much of a taste anyway beyond that kind of watery vegetably flavour.

I'm intrigued by these tromba d'albenga thingies ... they seem to be too good to be true if they can be eaten as nice courgettes and then they taste and look good, are big and store well when grown to full size.  I will definitely be giving them a go this year - along with pumpkins (but they're only to carve with the children at Halloween!)

Cheers

Squeezy

As you can see the seeds are all up one end so there is loads of flesh.   My best ones I put on the windowsill for a while to really ripen them off so they go brown on the outside.   I still have several left so hoping they will last another couple of  months

I seem to remember someone saying they tend to get sweeter with age, I think that was Butternut Squash.

As far as flavour goes, all of the winter-squash (autumn harvest) and pumpkins I have grown were very boring.

I think the UK doesn't really have the weather for great winter-squash where flavour is concerned.

Quote from: caroline7758 on February 16, 2014, 20:41:32
Do pumpkins lose their flavour with keeping? The last two batches of soup I've made, despite adding spices, have really been pretty tasteless. Any tips for using up my last couple? Think I'll stick to squash this year as they have more flavour.

I don't know if pumpkins lose flavour, Jeannine would know I'm sure. Did they taste good earlier on? You could try roasting them first, might help bring the flavour a little, or perhaps making a curry type or Moroccan spice soup. Have to agree squash are yummy 

Thanks for the ideas, I always roast them first as that gives them a bit of flavour, and add lots of spices!. I'll try the ginger next time!

Squash really varies a lot in flavour! Do you remember what variety they were? Atlantic Giant doesn't have that much flavour. I tend to find that the green skinned ones are better like Queensland Blue, or Crown prince. Those black ones, Black Fuju? They have a riper flavour! And Uchiki Kuri, those roundish orange ones are also tasty I find. And butternuts yes get sweeter as they ripen.
If they are not too nice, you can use them in things like cakes or scones, or in soup but mixed with carrot or sweet potato. But eating them as a veg probably won't be the best choice.

I like gently frying them in butter, and then sprinkling on some mixed herbs or cayenne pepper.

I like to microwave them gently, then roast very fast with sprinkling of sugar and a little butter so that they burn a bit. Ate the last one last night, lovely.

In soup, I like to add some coconut milk to add richness and flavour - learnt this from my daughter who gives her family lots of pumpkin soup. Leftovers in the coconut milk tin can be frozen until next needed.