How to Roast a Fresh Pumpkin — a Pedro “PoP” Aguon Tutorial
Pedro “PoP” Aguon was a chef in the Navy. PoP passed down to his family his extensive knowledge of cooking, and his daughter, Arlene Sablan Aguon, is kind enough to share some of PoP’s recipes and cooking tips with us. That was PoP’s way, sharing with the younger generations in order to keep the knowledge of our Chamorro culture and heritage alive. Rest in peace, PoP…your family and friends miss you terribly.
From Arlene:
“My PoP’s taught me how to roast a fresh pumpkin. It makes the best pies, Buchi Buchi & Turnovers. It makes the home smell like Thanksgiving too. ENJOY. ” ~ @untie R
Freshly roasted pumpkin tastes better than any canned pumpkin you buy in stores. Try roasting pumpkins PoP’s way. You’ll be glad you did. 🙂
Roasted Pumpkins ~ A Pop Aguon Tutorial
Roast the pumpkins at 350 degrees. The roasting time varies based on the size of your pumpkins. Medium pumpkins can take between 45 minutes to one hour. Check at the 45-minute mark; the pumpkin flesh should be tender when pierced with a fork. Continue to roast until tender.
what is the oven temperature for the pumpkin halves? You did mentioned to roast the seeds at 200 degrees. Thank you for this method of pumpkin puree.
Hi Teresita,
Good catch! Roast the pumpkin at 350 degrees for about one hour (shorter or longer, depending on size). Check at around the 45-minute mark; the pumpkin flesh should be tender when pierced with a fork.
Thank you, Annie! This sounds so much easier. Do you have a recipe for pumpkin bunelos? My friend’s mom made some and deep-fried the donuts with coconut oil. So delicious!!! I would assume the recipe is the same with aga bunelos. You think so?
Hi Teresita,
I have a recipe for pumpkin donuts that are baked (I actually use a donut maker for this recipe), not fried. This recipe is pretty darned good, if I do say so myself. Give it a try. 🙂
I’ll try it out and let you know. Thanks! Have a blessed Happy Thanksgiving!
looks easier than the way my mother used to make it, rest her soul. she would skin the pumpkin first then cut into small pieces then cook it on the stove for an hour or two. that took a lot of time. that’s how she makes her turnovers and pies. I’m passing this to my children in the states for them to make for they’re families. Love the table display…….made me hungry just looking at it. Great Job Annie….thanks for sharing.
r/ann
Hi Ann,
My mom makes her pumpkin jam the same way your mom did. It was very time consuming, I agree, but it tastes so good doesn’t it? Now, thanks to Pop and Arlene, we can quickly roast pumpkins and enjoy it much sooner! 🙂
Love it! By coincidence I was going to prepare 5 med size pumpkins this week and I usually prepare it the hard way. I can see this is a much easier and probably faster and less messy way. Thanks Annie
Hi Betty! We owe our thanks to Arlene and family for sharing PoP’s recipes and tips. 🙂