Homemade Pumpkin Puree

How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree: It’s Easier Than You Think. Just make sure you use baking or cheese pumpkins instead of regular ‘ole Jack-o-lanterns!

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Every so often, the kids and I get a wonky idea in our heads. And after a visit to one of our favorite pumpkin farms out east a few weeks ago, they wanted to know if we could make some homemade pumpkin puree.

To be honest, I have cooked and baked my way through many things in my lifetime, but I have never-ever made pumpkin puree from scratch. I never really saw any need for it as I’ve always been a big fan of Libby’s® pumpkin…even though it’s really canned squash. 😉

But after much discussion (meaning the kids hounded me until I finally gave in), I decided that we would give it a whirl. Since I didn’t really know how to do this, I had to read a few articles online first. I mean, I knew I would have to roast it or slow cook it. But I didn’t know if I could just toss our Jack-o-lanterns into the crockpot when we were done with them, or if I needed a special type of pumpkin.

Apparently, you can make pumpkin puree from regular old Jack-o’-lantern type pumpkins, but it’s not the best option. These pumpkins tend to be watery, stringy and bland. Instead, you’re supposed to look for smaller baking and cooking varieties like sugar pumpkins or cheese pumpkins. These are sweeter, more flavorful and have a smoother flesh. Who knew?

Armed with this knowledge, we got busy making our homemade pumpkin puree. The baking pumpkins are fairly tiny, so we were able to cook up two of them at once. They’re pretty easy to slice through too, which was kind of a surprise since I often have to make sure that I don’t chop my hand off while cutting eyes into our Jack-o-lanterns.

After the pumpkins have roasted in the oven, the skin will literally fall right off of them, so it’s a must to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This way, you can safely scoop up the pumpkin mash with a ladle and dump it into your blender or food processor. I honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was to make homemade pumpkin puree and I have been using it in many of the recipes below. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE

Ingredients:

• 2 pie pumpkins (about 4-8 pounds)

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 ºF. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 2: Using a very sharp knife, carefully split your pumpkins in half. Scoop out the strings and seeds with a spoon. Save the seeds for toasting later!

Step 3: Place your pumpkin halves, cut side down, on your baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the skins are fork tender. If your pumpkins are closer to eight pounds, you may need to cook them for 90 minutes.

Step 4: Once the pumpkins have cooled, scrape out the flesh and run through a food processor or blender until nice and smooth.

Enjoy,

Denine

Want more pumpkin recipes?

• Healthier Muffins: Flaxseed Pumpkin with Almond Milk
• Paradise Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Smoothie
• Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

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