Homemade Pumpkin Puree is an easy way to use up all your Halloween pumpkins and it tastes so much better than canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin Puree may seem like a tedious or boring thing to cook since we’re in full swing of holiday baking and cooking, but it’s one of my favorite things to do with my family after Halloween. Since the post about How to Cook Spaghetti SquashI’ve gotten a lot of emails from you guys about PUMPKIN.
Yes it is totally pumpkin season and I love making homemade pumpkin puree because it inspires us to make all the baked pumpkin treats and delicious creamy pumpkin pastas.
What kind of pumpkins do you use for baking?
The pumpkins I love working with for baking are pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins (sometimes called Cinderella pumpkins). If using your traditional carving pumpkins you may find grey or yellow tinted flesh that may be much more watery.
How much Pumpkin Puree will this Pumpkin make?
In general for every pound of pumpkin you’ll have about a cup of pumpkin puree.
Pumpkin Puree vs Canned Pumpkin
The difference between pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin is not in the ingredients. The pumpkin puree will generally be wetter. To have a denser puree you can strain the water out by putting paper towels in a strainer and leaving the puree in the strainer for 1-2 hours.
How to Bake Pumpkin Puree:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the strings/seeds.
- Rub the cut surface with canola oil and place cut side down onto a baking sheet with a cup of water.
- Cook for 75-90 minutes.
- Let cool then scoop out the flesh.
- Puree in a food processor then strain over paper towels for 1-2 hours.
How to Boil Pumpkin Puree:
- Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the strings/seeds.
- Cut the pumpkin into 5 inch squares and boil for 20-25 minutes.
- Let cool then scoop out the flesh.
- Puree in a food processor then strain over paper towels for 1-2 hours.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Puree:
- When freezing pumpkin pick containers that will allow for 1-2 inches of space and freeze in shallower containers or ice cube trays.
Yield: 5 cups
Pumpkin Puree
Prep:10 minutes
Cook:50 minutes
Total Time:60 minutes
Homemade Pumpkin Puree is an easy way to use up all your Halloween pumpkins and it tastes so much better than canned pumpkin.
Ingredients:
1 5-pound pumpkin
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and set a steamer 1 inch above the water.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the strings/seeds.
- Cut the pumpkin into 5 inch squares and steam for 45-50 minutes.
- Let cool then scoop out the flesh.
- Puree in a food processor and if you want the puree to be thicker (like canned pumpking) strain over paper towels for 1-2 hours.
