Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Homemade pumpkin puree is the best way to make all the pumpkin recipes that you love! Once you realize how easy it is to make homemade pumpkin puree and how much better it tastes than the store-bought stuff you will never go back to using a can of pumpkin puree!
Calories 118kcal
Equipment
- Cutting board.
- Sharp knife.
- baking sheet.
- Spoon.
- Food processor.
Ingredients
- unbaked pumpkin
- water
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- First cut off the stems of the pumpkin and cut it in half. Using a spoon scoop the seeds and any stringy fibers inside both pumpkin halves.
- Put all of the pumpkin seeds into a bowl, you will want to use these later to make some amazing pumpkin seeds to snack on.
- Place the pumpkin onto a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet with pumpkin into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pumpkin for the last 10 minutes or so, so you do not overcook the pumpkin.
- The pumpkin is done cooking when the skin begins to shrivel and the pumpkin flesh is tender (fork tender) and can be poked easily with a fork.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool until it is cool enough that you can touch it.
- Remove the pumpkin flesh from the pumpkin skin. Discard any parts of the pumpkin flesh that are tough.
- Add the pumpkin flesh to a food processor or a high-powered blender if you have one. Using the puree option puree the pumpkin flesh until it is smooth. If you do not have one you can use a large bowl and a potato masher and once you have smashed all the chunks puree the cooked pumpkin with an immersion blender.
- Once done pureeing if the pumpkin puree is a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of water and mix well until it is smooth. Be careful not to add too much water to it, you will want to add the water little by little.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Choose the Right Pumpkin. Opt for sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkin varieties of pumpkin, as they are sweeter and have smoother flesh, making them ideal for puree. Avoid larger, carving pumpkins, as they can be watery and less flavorful. Cut pumpkin into Pieces. When baking the pumpkin, if you have a larger pumpkin that will fit on your baking sheet cut the pumpkin into wedges. Blend Until Smooth. Use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to puree the cooked pumpkin pieces until they are completely smooth and free of lumps. Strain If Necessary. Depending on the pumpkin's moisture content, you may need to strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. This step is especially important if you want a thicker consistency for baking. Cool Before Using. Allow the homemade pumpkin puree to cool down before using it in recipes or transferring it to storage containers. Hot puree can affect the texture and flavor of your dishes.How Long will Pumpkin Puree last?
Pumpkin puree made with fresh pumpkin will last for up to a week when stored in the fridge. If you are freezing pumpkin puree it will last in the freezer for up to 1 year. I like to freeze someone in zipclose bags and then also freeze some using an ice cube tray. Then I have pumpkin puree for my baking recipes but then the ones in the ice cube trays are perfect for when I make a pumpkin smoothie and add it to things like yogurt or overnight oats.How to store fresh pumpkin puree
Store the pumpkin puree in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for up to five days.How to Freeze Pumpkin Puree
If you are freezing pumpkin puree all you have to do is pour it into a freezer-safe container with a little bit of extra room and put it in the freezer. Be sure your container has that extra space because frozen pumpkin puree will expand a bit when frozen. You can also use an ice cube tray and fill it with the pumpkin puree. Once the pumpkin puree is frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and put them into a freezer bag.How to thaw frozen pumpkin puree
Thawing frozen pumpkin puree is easy. Just know that you will have a bit of liquid on the top once it is defrosted, just use a spoon to mix the pumpkin puree and it will be as if you never froze it. There are two ways to defrost frozen pumpkin puree. The first method is to put your frozen container or bag of pumpkin puree in the fridge and let it thaw on its own. It will take a few hours for it to defrost this way. The second way to defrost pumpkin puree is by using the defrost button on your microwave.Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 4mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g