Pumpkin - How Small is Small?
 

I have recently come across a recipe for a pumpkin and ginger soup. The recipe says to use a small pumpkin.

I know this is going to have my America sisters rolling on the floor laughing but what size is a small pumpkin?

Here in the UK we only see pumpkins in the shops around Halloween and they’re generally all about the same size so can anyone give me some guidance on choosing my soup pumpkin?

LOL Well I would say how much pumpkin soup do you want? My guess is the one in the store is probably the size they mean. 9-12 inches or about 20 -30 CM diameter. Over here there are some very large ones for the children to carve. It sounds yummy. Maybe you could post the recipe? It is that time of year.

I can relate - when a recipe calls for an indeterminate size/amount of something - I always wonder what the writer's definition of small, medium, large, some, a pinch, etc. is.

I do much better when - if the exact amount is not critical - that the writer says something like "one to 1-1/2 cups of finely diced carrots" - instead of 1 large carrot cut up.

The type of pumpkin used for carving isn't the best for cooking. The cooking pumpkins are "small" sugar pumpkins, between about 5-10 pounds. They have more flesh and less empty space. Yes, you can use a carving type as well.

Kabocha squash works well and are easily found in my area (Seattle). They are green on the outside.

Edit: As a rule of thumb, when recipes call for "a" fruit or onion, they are talking about roughly tennis ball sized.

Edit 2: When using cooked squash or pumpkin, it's best not to boil it (too much extra moisture). Microwaving works wonders! As does baking.

Good info.

I've always considered a "tennis ball size" onion to be a "small" onion. I would consider a strawberry that size to be "enormous"!

Thank you so much - I think I know what to look for now!

Here is a link to the recipe -

https://www.prima.co.uk/all-recipes/...n-ginger-soup/

I make pumpkin bread all the time and use canned pumpkin. In USA, that's about 15 oz. I think that would be tiny... maybe you can substitute 2 cans for a small pumpkin. ... Just a guess. Also, the pumpkins here that are used for decorations on Hallowe'en are too stringy for cooking, IMHO.

On second thought, one can of pumpkin may be about what you need, as it is already cooked down and quite thick. ... Good luck!

Pumpkin in a can, - don’t think I can get that in the UK!

I found this...

For cooking, a smaller sugar or pie pumpkin (usually weighs between 3 to 8 pounds) is more flavorful than a larger carving one. One pound of fresh pumpkin yields about 4 cups raw peeled and cubed, or 1 cup cooked then mashed or pureed pumpkin.

-and-

How many cups is a small pumpkin?
Fifteen ounces of canned pumpkin is just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces would be 2 cups). A 3-pound pie pumpkin will likely give you enough puree for your recipe.

Moira, the only thing I know is that there are pie pumpkins and not pie pumpkins :) My Mom educated me on that.
Pie pumpkins, or those you bake with are small, not the big ones that we carve and decorate.
Hope this helps!