How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
If you would like to make your own homemade pumpkin puree, it is a quick and easy process! By making it at home you will save money and will be able to control the quality of ingredients used to make your puree. Home grown pumpkins from your garden or from a local farmer’s market are absolutely perfect for making homemade pumpkin puree as well!
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The first step in making pumpkin puree is to purchase the pumpkin. A sugar, pie, or baking pumpkin is the type that is typically used for cooking. Always select pumpkins that are firm and feel heavy for their size. Check the skin of the pumpkin for bruising, blemishes or soft spots. These can be found at your grocery store or local farmer’s market during or around the month of October in most areas of the United States. The bigger the pumpkin is, the more puree it will yield.
Once you have acquired your pumpkins you will need to clean them, and then they are ready to be cooked. There are a few different methods for cooking the pumpkin, so choose the one that best fits your needs. The most common method for cooking pumpkin is baking, but you can also steam, boil, or even microwave the pumpkin. Below you will find a step by step guide for making pumpkin puree in each of these cooking methods:
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Clean the pumpkin with cold water and pat dry. Split the pumpkin in half and use a large metal spoon to remove the seeds and fibers in the center of the pumpkin. The seeds may be saved for toasting if you prefer.
- Add 1 cup of water to a roasting pan or 13x9 baking dish and place both halves of the pumpkin cut side down in the dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender. Remove from oven.
- Transfer pumpkin halves to a cutting board, sheet pan, or other flat surface and allow to cool until they can be safely handled. Begin scooping out the baked flesh using a large spoon, placing the scooped out flesh into a large bowl or food processor.
- Mash pumpkin flesh by hand or puree with a food processor.
- Place the pureed pumpkin into a mesh strainer and set over a large bowl. Allow liquid to drain off of the puree, stirring occasionally until the puree is thick and creamy- approximately 1 to 2 hours.
- Immediately use or store pumpkin puree.
To Boil:
- Clean pumpkin with cold water and pat dry. Carefully cut the pumpkin into large chunks removing the seeds and fibers from the center of the pumpkin.
- Place pumpkin pieces into a large pot of boiling water. Cook until pumpkin flesh is fork tender.
- Drain and remove pumpkin from pot. Remove the pumpkin flesh from the rind and mash it by hand or puree in a food processor.
- Place the pureed pumpkin into a mesh trainer and set over a large bowl. Allow liquid to drain off of the puree, stirring occasionally until the puree is thick and creamy- approximately 1 to 2 hours.
- Immediately use or store pumpkin puree.
To Steam or Microwave:
- Clean pumpkin with cold water and pat dry. Cut pumpkin into four quarters, clean seeds and fibers from center. The seeds may be saved for toasting if you prefer.
- Add ¼ cup of water to a square baking dish. Place two quarters into the dish (or one if it is a large pumpkin) and cover with plastic wrap. Use a fork to pierce the wrap in a few places to vent steam.
- Place the dish in microwave and cook on high power for 5-7 minutes or until flesh is fork-tender.
- Remove from microwave and repeat process for remaining pumpkin quarters.
- When the cooked pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a metal spoon to remove flesh from rind. Place it in a large bowl or food processor and puree.
- Place the pureed pumpkin into a mesh trainer and set over a large bowl. Allow liquid to drain off of the puree, stirring occasionally until the puree is thick and creamy- approximately 1 to 2 hours.
- Immediately use or store pumpkin puree.
When all of your pumpkins are cooked and pureed, you will most likely have extra pumpkin puree that will not be getting used right away- or perhaps you would like to make extra puree for use in the future. Homemade pumpkin puree will freeze beautifully for a later use! To prepare for freezer storage allow your puree to cool completely, then place individual portions of puree in freezer safe bags. Label and date your bags and store them in your freezer for up to one year!
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