The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

(Nandana) #1

sweetness. While this process will occur naturally over time,
slow-roasting hastens these reactions.
Finally, as the pumpkin roasts, liquid escapes from inside
of it, making its way to the surface and bringing along some
dissolved sugars with it. As the liquid evaporates, the sugars
are left on the exposed surfaces of the pumpkin, where they
begin to caramelize. The process of caramelization not only
creates sweeter sugars, it also produces hundreds of varying
flavor compounds that add depth to the finished soup.
I like to use a mix of pumpkins and squashes, splitting
them, tossing them in olive oil, and then roasting them as
slow as I have the patience for before scooping out their
innards and pureeing them with stock and other flavorings.

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