Homemade Pumpkin Puree Recipe
Once you see how EASY it is to make pumpkin puree at home, you’ll never go back to that bland, canned stuff at the store again! Trust me, you’ll totally get spoiled once you try homemade pumpkin puree, especially if it’s a pumpkin you grew yourself. There’s nothing more satisfying than turning your summer’s labor into a delicious meal!
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Ice cream scooper optional
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 Large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 whole Pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pumpkin in half. If your pumpkin is excessively large, you may need to cut it into wedges to fit in your oven.
- Scoop out the seeds and any of the stringy goop with an ice cream scoop!
- Place the pumpkin halves/wedges (cut side down) on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45-90 minutes, depending on how large your pumpkin is.
- At the 45 minute mark, poke the pumpkin flesh with a fork. If it’s still firm, it needs more time. If it’s soft and the fork easily slides in, it’s done!
- Let the pumpkin cool for about an hour (it’s going to be hot!), then scoop out the flesh straight into your food processor. I like to use my ice cream scooper again here - such a handy tool!
- Puree the pumpkin until it achieves a nice, smooth texture and then transfer to a large bowl. You’ll likely need to work in several batches to get everything to fit in your food processor.
- Assess the texture. Add some pumpkin liquid from the bottom of the sheet pan if too thick, and strain through cheese cloth for 2-3 hours if too thin.
- To preserve, fill ziplock or vacuum seal bags with your desired amount and freeze laying flat for efficient storage. Freeze drying works well too, If you have a freeze dryer!
Notes
Tip 1: Make sure to save the seeds for making my delicious Soaked & Dehydrated Pumpkin Seeds recipe!
Tip 2: You may need to remove the top rack from your oven so that the pumpkin halves/wedges fit
Tip 3: You might notice some watery liquid at the bottom of the pan and that’s normal. I reserve it to add back to the puree later if it comes out too thick for my liking. Usually I don’t have to do this, but it’s nice to have the option!
Did you try my recipe?Let me know how it was!