Can You Eat Raw Pumpkin? We Have the Answer and MORE!

Pumpkins are one of those vegetables that are rich in vitamin-A.

It is widely used in decorations at Halloween parties however, they are not only famous for Halloween parties but for making delicious dishes too.

Pumpkins are so adaptive that you can cook spicy vegetables, desserts, granola, pie, soups, use for baking and something that you simply need.

But can you eat them raw?

Yes, you can eat them raw and enjoy the crunch while eating.

Pumpkin when eaten raw doesn’t taste much good but it becomes very simple to reap most of the nutrients in its raw form.

But you may not like biting the raw thick fibrous pieces.

What does it taste like?

Raw pumpkin has an earthy-sweet flavour. Few pumpkins are bitter and less enjoyable, these pumpkins are mainly used for the Halloween carvings.

Well! Every variety of pumpkin is edible and each one differs in taste and that is why they are used in various recipes for cooking.

You can also consume its seeds. It’s helpful in reducing certain risks of cancer.

What after Halloween?

After the Halloween party, there are a lot of pumpkins lying at your home and you wonder what to do with all of them.

I know you can simply cook or use them in baking your favourite recipes but this time enjoy some of them by eating raw. Relax! it won’t harm you.

Biting raw pumpkin pieces sounds uneasy and you may not always enjoy eating them in a specific way.

It will become a lot of attention-grabbing once there will be variations in consuming raw pumpkins.

Have a glance at some of the below-listed raw pumpkin recipes and give them a try:

Raw pumpkin cheesecake

This time add some innovation to your cheesecake by giving it a flavour of pumpkin, this cheesecake will also deliver you some nutritional benefits.

You will need:

8 ounces cottage cheese

8 ounces cream cheese

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons maple syrup

pumpkin filling – cinnamon maple syrup

• Mix both the cottage and cream cheese jointly then add vanilla extract and maple syrup.
• Pumpkin filling (you can also use raw pumpkin puree) having cinnamon and maple syrup.
• Then arrange the cheese mixture in the baking tray in the first layer and pumpkin filling in the second.
• Use roasted nuts for topping.
• Let it sit for at least five hours in the refrigerator.

Your delicious raw pumpkin cheesecake is ready to serve, cut it and enjoy!

Trust me guys this recipe is so tempting and tasty that nobody can even guess that it is made with raw pumpkin.

Raw pumpkin pudding

Pumpkin pudding can be another way to have pumpkins in raw form.

It’s very attractive and so delicious that kids would jump over it just after seeing it.

You can add flavour and ingredients according to your will.

1. You just need to incorporate your spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in raw pumpkin puree with some maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla extract and some salt.
2. Blend all these in a mixer grinder.
3. As we know that a pudding should have a bouncy and gelatinous consistency so after blending you will need to add some gelatin powder to it (at this point you can also add your favourite food colour to make it more attention-seeking) and pour it into a bowl or any other decorative bowl.
4. If you are a vegan and don’t want to use gelatin powder, don’t worry we have a substitute for this, you can use chia seeds instead.
5. Just boil some chia seeds with a little dash of water and let it cool down completely.
6. You will see a gelatin-like consistency which you can effectively replace with gelatin powder.

Let the bowl sit for at least six hours in the refrigerator.

Your delicious pumpkin pudding is ready to serve!

Seasoned raw pumpkin chunks or puree

If you want the quickest of all then you can simply cut the raw pumpkin in cubes or whatever shape you like (or even use puree) and sprinkle a bit of salt, black pepper and enjoy it like that!

Raw pumpkin juice

Simplest of all and packed with nutrients.

If you are in a mood to have some fluid then this can be a good option.

It is not difficult to make even a kid would enjoy blending those raw chunks of pumpkin.

Just cut the pumpkin into cubes and blend those cubes in a juicer or mixer.

Pour the juice into a glass and add lemon juice with some black salt.

Enjoy! your miraculous drink is ready to sip.

Raw pumpkin dip

You can enjoy this raw pumpkin dip with just anything whether it is a dinner party or a holiday picnic, this dip will contribute so much pleasure to you while eating.

You will need raw pumpkin puree, a bowl of cream cheese, your favourite seasonings and onions.

Just mix them all and enjoy your yummy freshly prepared dip.

Raw pumpkin soup

You can also try making soup with raw pumpkin and trust me it’s not that bad when chilled. Yes! Chilled pumpkin soup is something you may not have heard of before but it’s very delicious.

For making this yummy soup you will need to blend your chopped pumpkins, savoury spices, some veggies and water.

Your nutritious soup is ready to serve!

You can enjoy this soup any season without hesitation.

• Pumpkin comes with loads of nutrients in which vitamin-A is dominant over all of them.
• As we all know vitamin-A is extremely necessary for eye health, protects against cell damage, keeps skin healthy and free from dryness.

Other quick ideas to use them raw:

• Use a grater to shred raw pumpkin and use them as a salad/dish topper.
• Combine raw pumpkin puree to your yoghurt or cottage cheese.
• You can substitute cucumber and carrot sticks with shredded raw pumpkin while making your sushi.
• Grate the raw pumpkin over your desserts and baked recipes.
• Marinate raw pumpkin cubes with vinegar, oil and some of your favourite spices for a sweet-savoury crunch.

What are the benefits of eating them raw?

Pumpkins are nutritionally dense food.

When eaten raw, surely, you are going to reap all the benefits of it.

Just one cup serving of raw pumpkin provides you with 7.54 grams of carbohydrates, 1.16 grams of protein, 0.12 grams of fat and 30 calories.

In which vitamin- A is the most prominent nutrient. In just one cup serving you will get more than 170 percent of your daily needs for vitamin-A.

• Potassium is also present in good amounts in pumpkins which reduces the risk of hypertension.
• Apart from this, pumpkins are well known to manage mood swings.
• People who get easily manipulated or face frequent stress then they should consume pumpkins. It helps to calm their minds.

How to freeze pumpkin?

Well! This vegetable is available all year long but still, if you want to freeze them then cook the pumpkin flesh before freezing.

For cooking you will need to cut the pumpkin into pieces and place in a microwaveable bowl.

You can use a microwave, oven or a grill.

Add some water in the bowl and cook it for 15 minutes or till the flesh becomes soft.

Your pumpkin is ready to freeze.