If you’ve been following along these last few months, you’ll notice that pretty much every post I’ve done of late has something to do with pumpkins. Pumpkins never get old for me, so I’m going to do my due diligence and keep paying tribute to this sweet, savory, and all around scrumptious squash.
Though I’ve been promising a how-to for homemade pumpkin puree for quite a while, I’m sure you’ll excuse my tardiness once you’ve tried this for yourself. You’ll save yourself a lot of money in the end especially if you’re a pumpkin puree lover like me! From just two $5 Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, we got 36 cups of pumpkin puree. Last year we got over 40. So, if Jane spends $10 for 36 cups by buying pumpkins, and John spends $50+ for 36 cups by buying cans of puree from the store, who gets the better deal? Look at all that math we just did!
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Step 1: Invest in a deep chest freezer since you’ll be needing the extra room anyway.
Step 2: Consider these tools of the trade – my KitchenAid Blender, and my Pyrex measuring cups.
Step 3: Wash your pumpkin
Step 4: Cut your pumpkin in half and do a quality check (see below)
Step 5: Remove all the seeds and guts and save for roasting (Check out this recipe!)
Step 6: Cut the pumpkin into manageable chunks and arrange on baking trays skin-side down
Step 7: Roast in oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes until fork-tender
Step 8: Peel skin off and throw the meat into a blender and pulse until pureed
Step 9: Measure puree out and bag for freezer storage
Step 10: Make any of these or other delicious pumpkin recipes!
Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Tomato-Free Pumpkin BBQ Pulled Chicken
Tomato-Free Pumpkin Pizza Sauce/Dip
QUALITY CONTROL
For those of ya’ll new to squash school, it’s super essential to make sure your pumpkin isn’t bad. Click here for our tips on how to pick quality and edible pumpkins. Once you’ve brought the goods home, you still need to check for edibility when you cut your pumpkins open. If you see ANY mold, DO NOT EAT! Also, some pumpkins can develop spongy or squishy insides. You may remember this tip as it applies to other squash such as butternut and even zucchini: avoid spongy and squishy! Though spongy insides don’t necessarily mean you’ll get sick, I can tell you that the puree tastes WEIRD. Also, as you can see in the picture of my first pumpkin, the guts also looked all dried up.
The good news is that the seeds are still completely edible! (roasted pumpkin seed recipe here!)
Ok, that’s it for today! I’m going to rest now and start enjoying some good ol’ holiday food and relaxation.
