How to Make Pumpkin Puree

You may have come across the need for pumpkin puree while making a pumpkin pie or pumpkin pasta. Maybe you went to the store to go buy a can of pumpkin puree, but still weren’t quite sure what was in it. Fortunately, it’s good to know that pumpkin puree is in fact 100% pumpkin with no added ingredients. But pumpkin puree is actually a very broad category, with flavors and styles ranging on what type of pumpkin is used. Most pumpkin puree that you’ll find in cans is made with Dickinson pumpkins – a large, tan pumpkin with smooth skin, as opposed to the kinds of pumpkins that you’ll generally find in fields during the fall months.

Recipes for Pumpkin Puree

You can make homemade pumpkin puree using your own ingredients. While you might not want to use a large pumpkin that’s usually used for carving jack-o-lanterns or for decorating during Halloween due to a stringy texture and watery taste, finding small pumpkins that are perfect for pumpkin puree is easy during fall months.

The ideal pumpkin for pumpkin puree is a small pumpkin with a lot of flesh – and less of the stringy guts that you’ll find when carving pumpkins for holidays. Check to see if the pumpkins you’re interested in are food-grade or if they’re mainly meant for decorative purposes. You can still use any kind of pumpkin for pumpkin puree, but it might not have as much of a clean and tasty flavor.

Eat well!

Ingredients

• 1 small-sized food grade pumpkin
• food processor or blender

Instructions

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise from the bottom up. Once you reach the stem of the pumpkin, pull the pumpkin to break it into halves.
3. Using a large spoon, remove the seeds and guts from the inside of the pumpkin. Toss away the guts, but make sure to save the seeds for roasting in the future. When you’re finished, the halves of the pumpkin should be left with only the flesh and skin.
4. Place the pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for about an hour, or until the flesh of the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork.
5. Remove the pumpkin halves from the oven and allow them to cool until they’re safe to touch. The skin should be easily removed with a fork or knife at this point. Make sure to remove all the skin and the stem as well.
6. Chop the pumpkin halves into small-sized cubes and add them to a food processor or blender. Blend the pumpkin until smooth.
7. Remove the pureed pumpkin from the blender or food processer and store in a container in the fridge or freeze in 1 cup portions until you’re ready to use it.
8. Following these steps, you should have the perfect pumpkin puree for any of your needs – whether that’s soup, pumpkin bread, pasta or anything else!