Pumpkin Puree is one of those ingredients that is in all kinds of yummy recipes in the fall and winter. From pies to breads to pancakes to soup. So many yummy things you can do with pumpkin puree. I prefer fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin. It isn’t hard to make at all and it freezes nicely! Here is how I prepare my pumpkin to make puree. I use Sugar Pumpkins or Pie Pumpkins. They are smaller than traditional Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkins.
After you pick out your pumpkins, I wash the outside of the pumpkin to get off any chemicals that may have been sprayed on the crops. I then cut them in half in order to remove the seeds. Don’t throw those seeds away! You can roast them up for a tasty treat later!
After you remove the seeds and have the inside of the pumpkin scraped clean, cut the pumpkin into quarters and lay them on a parchment lined cookie sheet with the skin side up. I do not put olive oil on the pumpkin. Just lay them out similar to the way I have in the picture.
Now you will want to bake the pumpkins at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the skin is shriveled up like in the picture. The skin will slide right off when the pumpkin has been roasted long enough. I let them cool a bit for easier handling.
Now that the pumpkin is skinned or peeled, place your pumpkin in a food processor or a stand mixer and start pureeing. I have used both machines to process the puree but I personally found the food processor to be the better tool.
After the pumpkin has been processed I bag it up in either freezer ziplock bags or food saver bags in 15 oz. packages. I use this measurement because that is how it is canned and it is easier to translate into recipes this way.
Pureeing your own pumpkin is so easy and the flavor you get from fresh pumpkin is unmistakable. I strongly suggest giving it a try and compare the flavor for yourself!
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