DIY Pumpkin Puree

DIY Pumpkin Puree

Fall is a great time to created your own pumpkin puree. It’s easy to do, cheap, and taste even better then the canned stuff! There are so many different varieties of pumpkin out there, and the great thing is that you can use almost any kind of pumpkin to make pumpkin puree.

I used the Sugar Pumpkin, which is the most common used here in the US for pies and baked goods. Sugar pumpkins are small, round in shape, and generally have smooth skin with ridges. In September through December you can easily find sugar pumpkins at grocery stores here in Michigan, and for a really good deal too.

Cooked pumpkin freezes beautifully. Prepare several batches now and freeze them to use through out the year! I also love that when you prep DIY Pumpkin Puree you can save the pumpkin in whatever size portions work for you. I find that many recipes only use a cup (about half a average sized can) of pumpkin, which leaves me with half used containers throughout the season.

The first step to make a pumpkin puree is to roast the pumpkin.

 

How to Roast a Pumpkin for DIY Pumpkin Puree

First use a large knife to slice the pumpkin in half, then use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds. (Save these to be roasted later for a great healthy snack.) Next place the two pumpkin halves in a 9×13 baking pan and roast for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin halves are tender.

Remove the pumpkin halves from the oven. Let cool slightly, and then scrape the flesh from the shells.  You can stop here and place the cook pumpkin into containers to freeze once they have completely cooled. Or you can create a smooth pumpkin puree by placing the cooled pumpkin into a blender or food processor, and blending until smooth.

Tip: If you don’t have a blender, food, processor, or just don’t want to dirty another dish, you can just mash the cooked pumpkin with a fork.

Frozen pumpkin puree can last for about a year in the freezer. So the stuff you prep now could even be used for next thanksgiving!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving and let me know how it goes if you try out this DIY Pumpkin Puree!

 



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