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National Pumpkin Day, October 26, is when we celebrate a loved symbol of autumn. Pumpkins mean Thanksgiving, ever since they were part of our first Thanksgiving in the 1620s. It seems the first pumpkin pie was a whole pumpkin with the top cut off and the seeds removed, filled with spices, milk, and honey, and then baked. The US produces nearly 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins every year. The heaviest pumpkin weighed about 2600 pounds and was from Germany; a Wisconsin farmer grew a pumpkin the size of a dumpster, the largest ever recorded, using seaweed, cow manure, and fish emulsion produced a 1,810-pound pumpkin. The largest pumpkin pie weighed around 3699 pounds. Six pounds per person of pumpkin is the US annual average. Pumpkin bread recipes can all be used to make muffins, and slices make fantastic French toast.

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups flour

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon allspice

• 1/3 cup water

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 1 lb. raw pumpkin cooked and pureed OR 1 cup pureed canned pumpkin

Method

1. Preheat oven to 3500 F.

2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 5x9-inch loaf pan.

3. Line the bottom with waxed paper; grease the waxed paper.

4. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder & soda, spices).

5. Combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin, water, eggs, oil) in a large bowl and mix well.

6. Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing well after each addition.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until the loaf tests done (toothpick or thin metal skewer through center).

9. Remove from the pan onto a wire rack to cool.