Pumpkin Pie Taste Test

 I had lots of pumpkin left in the refrigerator that needed used and somehow even though I had pumpkin pie at two different Thanksgiving feasts nearly a week apart, along with leftovers, I'm still not tired of it. After all, it's one of my favorite breakfast foods.

And besides, I had to put to rest which pumpkin was my favorite in pies, the Rouge vif Detampes or the New England Sugar Pie. I already knew what texture that I liked best, the New England Sugar Pie. Add to the fact that the Rouge vif Detampes had to have lots of water strained off of it and was stringy, it was sliding downward in my opinion pole due to the extra preparation time. It did WAY out produce the New England Sugar Pie though and so I just didn't feel like I had a clear decision. 

I'd decided to grow it in part for livestock feed. Something I still think is worthy idea but then I tasted the Rouge vif Detampes in pumpkin pie.  Oh my!

I used the same recipe for both pies except I had to drop the amount of milk called for. Plus, I never use evaporated milk which the recipe calls for preferring to use either milk from the later part of our goats lactation because it is high in cream or half and half (goat milk that has run through the cream separator once, not twice).

For the Rouge vif Detampe pumpkin puree, I dropped the recipe's  one and two-thirds cups to one & one-third & one-fourth a cup. The finished results have led me to believe I should have just skipped the one-fourth cup and gone with one and two thirds cups. Even with straining, the pumpkin puree is very very moist. 

The alterations didn't stop there though because the New England Sugar pie has a very thick, dryer puree and so I added an extra small egg to that pie filling. 

It is just par for course to have to change recipes when you are cooking with fresh ingredients but o...h is it worth it because of the flavor superiority and increase in nutrients.


Unfortunately, I over cooked the New England Sugar Pie, pie a little and I don't have a pretty picture of it to show you. As for the Rouge vif Detampe, it had to cook a little longer due to the higher moisture content.

But when they were done, I had to have a slice of both. The New England Sugar Pie was just how you expect a pumpkin to taste. The only way I can describe it is something earthy and whole, kind like the earthiness you get when you eat whole foods like whole wheat bread versus white bread.


The Rouge vif Detampe was sweeter than the New England Sugar Pie and lacked that earthy taste that the New England Sugar Pie had. It was really yummy though in a different way. It was the white bread in the whole wheat bread versus the white comparison.

And now I can't decide which I like best.

I don't think I will decide. I'm going to integrate the two kinds of pumpkins into my garden. Rotating from year to year which kind I grow so they don't cross breed. Yum! Yum!