Help w/ Jack o' Lantern Pulp - Want to make soup with it!

[Luika]

We are having a chili cook-off tomorrow night in our neighborhood. An older gentlemen neighbor provided me with the scooped-out pulp from his jack o' lantern so that I could make Pumpkin Chili.

Can anyone provide me with info on how to bake this pulp to soften it. If it were a 1/2 pumpkin, I know I could place it in the oven [covered] with a little water, but I don't know how to proceed with the pulp. I hate to disappoint my neighbor by not using it [and just pulling out a can of pumpkin puree, but...:confused:

[donleyk]

Hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong but I believe you don't want to try to cook with jack-o-lantern pulp.

[dmcgreevey]

Unless he carved a PIE pumpkin, you should not cook with it. Pie pumpkins are clearly labelled at the grocery store....sorry!

[Luika]

I think you two are right! I just did a "Google" search of the internet and discovered very similar comments. I know he used the large jack-o-lantern variety. I think I'll open a can of pumpkin puree... if he doesn't ask, I won't tell him!:p

[emilycat]

I think it is possible to cook with a jack 'o lantern pumpkin (someone on the BB mentioned that she had), but you want the FLESH (the part you're carving into), not the pulp.
Eh -- what he doesn't know won't hurt him. ;)