North Haven Pumpkin Patch Bounty: How About From-Scratch Pie?

NORTH HAVEN, CT — The past several months have kindled new interest in baking as Americans spend more time hunkering down at home to avoid the coronavirus. Buying a pumpkin for a jack-o'-lantern is one reason to visit pumpkin patches near North Haven, but 2020 could also be the year to make pumpkin pies from scratch.

Sure, canned pumpkin will do the trick. It's healthy and packed with nutrients, and some of the top cooking websites say it stacks up well against the homemade pumpkin purée and saves busy cooks a ton of time.

But there's something soothing, meditative and cathartic about digging into the pumpkin with your hands and scooping out the stringy innards and seeds. The coronavirus culinary revolution reflects our collective hunger to take control of at least one thing in our upended lives. #StressBaking isn't just a social media hashtag.

Just dress for the occasion, and wear gloves if the sliminess is too much for you.

The first thing you need to do is head to one of the pumpkin patches in and around North Haven. Here are some of them:

• Hindinger Farm at 835 Dunbar Hill Rd. in Hamden. Open May 1 through Dec. 20; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Closed on Mondays. "Since 1893, the Hindinger family has been farming this land in Hamden, Connecticut, and now, the family invites you to share with them this spectacular scenery, friendly atmosphere, and farm-fresh fruits and vegetables," according to their website.>>>Read more here.
• Old Bishop Farm in Cheshire located at 500 South Meriden Road. "Lots of fall related items coming in every day, pumpkins of all varieties and sizes, mums and asters, straw bales, and scarecrows. Donuts, muffins and pies in the bakery. Apple Crumb Pie and Sunflower Chip ice cream, and pumpkin ice cream this weekend!"
• Lyman Orchards at 32 Reeds Gap Rd. in Middlefield. "Lyman Orchards, now in its 278th year, is a family-favorite destination for Pick Your Own, our Farm market, championship and beginner golf and much more!">>>Read More.
• Bishop's Orchards Farm Market at 1355 Boston Post Rd. in Guilford. "At our Farm Market located at 1355 Boston Post Road is our Pumpkin Patch and Ice Cream Stand," reads a post on their Facebook page. "Pick out the perfect pumpkin and bring it home with a frozen treat! The Pumpkin Patch closes at 6pm and Ice Cream Stand at 9pm. Call our 24/7 #pickyourown info line at 203-458-7425 for more details.">>>Read More.

Southern Living says small, round sugar pumpkins, sometimes called pie or sweet pumpkins, are the best pumpkins for baking. The stem should be brown, but still firmly attached, and check for blemishes and bruising. And don't get hung up on the color. As a pumpkin matures, its flesh dulls.

JoyFoodSunshine was our first stop on the spin around the internet in search of classic homemade pumpkin pie recipes. It requires an investment in time — a little over two hours — but blogger Laura says on her website the 10-ingredient recipe "is the only pumpkin pie recipe you'll ever need" and that "literally everyone" who tries it falls in love with it.

"It's a beautiful blend of creamy, spicy sweet flavors that encompass all that is wonderful about fall," Laura says.

Everything about this pie is made from scratch, from the crust to the dollop of homemade whipped cream added after it's been plated. Laura tells you everything you need to know, from the tools you'll need to how to know when the pie is done.

Sheri B., whose from-scratch pumpkin pie recipe is featured on Food.com, says the roasted pumpkin can be puréed using a sieve, food mill, blender or food processor, but she likes to create the filling with a hand potato masher.

For some cooks, secret pumpkin pie ingredients make for an unforgettable dessert. New York City-based food and wine writer Mandy Naglich's recipe on Taste Of Home calls for cracked black pepper.

"The best way to preserve the spiciness of pumpkin spice is with freshly cracked black pepper," Naglich writes. "It adds a robust bite to the traditional spice mix, which comes across subtly in each mouthful of pumpkin pie."

The pepper won't make the pie "spicy," but guests may ask where you got the super-fresh spices, she says.

"Food Hussy" Heather Johnson touts the secret ingredient in her mom's pumpkin pie recipe. For years, Johnson's mother refused to share the recipe, but eventually gave it up to her blogger daughter: It's Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry, a dessert wine.

After you've gone to all the trouble of baking from-scratch pumpkin pie, you may decide using a can of pumpkin pie filling is easier. But it's a coronavirus quarantine memory, and hopefully a pleasant one, that you'll always have.