Fall in Jersey - Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie 

Pumpkin pie has been a staple on my Thanksgiving table for many, many years now. As a matter of fact, I cannot even think of having a Thanksgiving dinner without it. But when I was growing up, pumpkin pie was not even on the menu. Which prompted me to wonder when and how the pumpkin pie was created, and when did it become a Thanksgiving staple. Through my search, I found a few historical facts that were quite interesting. For example, I did not know that for many years, pumpkin pie was most strictly a Yankee food! It did not even become a thing in the south until the 20th century! It actually turns out that pumpkin pie was quite political after the civil war, with southerners viewing it as a "cultural artifact" of the Yankees! It was during the 1800's, and the New Englanders wanted to end slavery in the south, and compared their pumpkin farms to the plantation farms of the south, so farming and eating pumpkins became a matter of politics. ( I know, crazy right? ) When then President Abraham Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving, the confederates said that it was just a political ploy, and a way for New Englanders to try and tell the Southerners how to live. Pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving were refused by some Southerners even after the Civil War because they were both considered strictly Yankee!

But actually, New Englanders do not get the credit of being the first ones to use pumpkin in pies. That credit goes to the English, who had long been making pies, even since the 1500's, as they had a specialized and highly developed pie making skill. And pumpkins were actually brought to Europe from the Americas in the 1500's, and that is when the English started to grow them. The English called them "pumpions." 

Pumpkin pie today is considered by some to be just as important to the Thanksgiving dinner as the turkey itself. And at our house, it is no different. Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without my Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie. My pie has the old fashioned taste of tasting the spices as well as the pumpkin. Some people like to make the classic version of pumpkin pie, in which you do not taste much of the spice, tasting basically just the pumpkin. But if you want to taste the pumpkin and the spice, a very earthy and old fashioned taste, you will love this version. I don't make it any other way. My family and I just love it. Topping each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, will have you begging for another slice. 

What you will need: 1 large can ( 1 lb. 13oz.) pumpkin ( just 100% pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling) - 1 cup of either light or dark brown sugar - 1 cup of white sugar - 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves - 3 tsps. of ground cinnamon - 2 tsps. of ground ginger - 1 tsp. of salt - 4 eggs, beaten - 1 cup evaporated milk - 1 cup of heavy cream - 2 unbaked, 9" pie shells

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 8 ingredients, and mix well. Combine evaporated milk and heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat to scalding point, but do not boil. ( This step is very important. Do not pour cold milk into pumpkin mixture. It must be heated to scalding before adding ) Once milk is hot, add it to the pumpkin mixture, and mix well. Pour into pie shells. Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted comes out clean. 

Copyright. "All Rights Reserved"