How to choose a quality pumpkin: Liza Hlinska tells

Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable that can be prepared in any way. The main thing is to choose the right fruit so that it is of high quality and suitable for a particular dish according to its flavor: sweet or more neutral. Pumpkin season is in full swing, so it's time to add this healthy product to your diet.

Chef Liza Hlinska shared tips to help you choose pumpkin for cooking on her Instagram page. The expert talked about the signs of a ripe vegetable and explained which one is better suited for desserts and which one is for appetizers and main courses.

How to choose a quality pumpkin:

• It should be firm and free of cracks, dents, and dark spots.
• It is better to buy medium-sized fruits.
• In very large ones, the flesh is usually dry, fibrous, and may be bitter.
• Be sure to pay attention to the dry, dark tail. It is an indication that the vegetable is ripe.

The most common types of pumpkin that can be used to make dishes:

• Butternut pumpkin

Elongated, pear-shaped, orange in color. It is the sweetest. It is suitable for baking and desserts. But after long storage, it loses its malt.

• Large-fruited 

Round, flattened in shape. This is the kind of fruit used for Halloween. It comes in different colors: orange, yellow, gray, green. This pumpkin is best for making soups or baking. The opposite is true: the longer it is stored, the sweeter it becomes.

• Hard-skinned

Shaped like an egg, the skin is orange-greenish. Suitable for side dishes and meat dishes, because this pumpkin is not sweet at all. The seeds of this particular species are the best.

Pumpkin and apple pancakes

Ingredients for the dough:

• apples - 4 pcs.
• pumpkin - 80-100 g
• eggs - 2 pcs.
• flour - 4 tbsp (with a slide)
• sugar - 3 tbsp
• baking powder - a pinch
• cinnamon - a pinch

Method of preparation:

1. Peel and grate the apples and pumpkin on a fine grater.
2. Add eggs and sugar, and mix well with a whisk.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Fry the pancakes in vegetable oil on both sides and put them on a paper towel to remove excess fat.
5. Sprinkle the finished pancakes with powdered sugar.