Pumpkin Puree

Call me crazy, but recently, I have had the urge to try to make my own pumpkin puree.   So, I saw these pumpkins in the grocery store and decided to give it a whirl.  Also, one of the perks of making my own puree is the seeds that I can roast afterward.

 

I started with a couple of smallish pumpkins and cut the tops off to get rid of the stems, like so…

 

Then, I cut the pumpkins in half.

 

Next, I scooped out the seeds and stringy stuff.  I will be honest, I started with a spoon, but ended up using my hands to pull all the seeds out.  I think that was more fun anyway!  I was really impressed with the yield of seeds that these small pumpkins were holding.

 

You can leave the pumpkins cut in half, but I decided to quarter them so they fit better on my baking pan.

 

Arrange on baking pan, face down, and cook in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and a half (or until fork tender.)  I added about 1/4 cup of water to the pan to aide in the cooking time.

 

Here is what it looked like after being cooked.  I quickly realized there was another perk in making my own puree…the house smelled like fall.

 

When the pumpkin has cooled enough to handle, peel the skin off.  I was very surprised at how easy this step was.

 

If you have one of those new-fangled appliances, called a food processor, I would use that to mash the pumpkin.  I, unfortunately, do not own one, but I do have a potato masher.  I think it did a great job just the same. 🙂

 

This is what the final product looked like.

 

I wanted to freeze my pumpkin so it would last longer.  You never know when the sweet cravings will attack and scream “I want pumpkin cookies!”

Line a measuring cup with a freezer bag to make it easier to fill

 

Fill the bag with the puree.  I decided to fill my freezer bags with 1 3/4 cup of the puree.  (That’s the amount of pumpkin in a store bought can.)

 

Now it’s ready for the freezer (and future pumpkin recipes!)