Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste: Heirloom Seed Savers in Appalachia

Candy Roasters

114 M Candy Roasters Most people in my home community grew a few pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns and sometimes for cattle feed, but few grew them for human food. The candy roaster was the winter squash of choice then and now. The candy roaster is widely grown in western North Carolina, northern Georgia, and East Tennessee. It has a sweet Xavor and is used for making pies, candy roaster butter, and candy roaster breads and can be used in combination with other foods. The candy roaster is a very long winter squash, thought to have originated with the Cherokees, and can weigh more than Wfty pounds. With the advent of refrigeration, portions are now often frozen in airtight packages for use throughout the year. Typical ways of preparing and cooking candy roasters are as follows: Candy Roasters 115 1. Cut the candy roaster in half and thoroughly clean out the seeds and surrounding area. Cut in one- to twoinch strips and peel oV all of the rind. Cut in small pieces about two inches square and cook until tender. Drain oV water and mash up the pieces until there are no lumps. This is good for pies; alternatively, put butter and sugar on it and eat it that way. 2. Another preparation method is to cut the candy roaster in half, then clean out the seeds from the inside. Put the squash in the oven on about 300 degrees and bake until the meat is tender. Then take a large spoon and scrape out the inside. Use for pies or just eat as is. 3. To make candy roaster pie: 2 cups cooked candy roaster prepared using method 1 or 2 above 1H cups brown sugar H teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon allspice C. E. Holder with a thirty-pound candy roaster. Photo by C. E. Holder (self-portrait) Heritage Fruit and Heirloom Seeds 116 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 eggs 1 small can evaporated milk 2 tablespoons melted butter Mix sugar, salt, and spices. Add to cooked candy roaster. Add eggs (slightly beaten), milk, and butter. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees . Reduce heat and bake for 35 minutes. This recipe makes two nine-inch pies. (The above instructions and recipe are from Jewel Dee McCracken of Bald Creek in Upper Crabtree Community, Haywood County, North Carolina.) Many people cut raw candy roasters into cubes to be frozen for use later in the year. They can then be prepared in the same ways as described above or as one would cook pumpkins or other winter squashes. ...