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How to make Pumpkin Puree

September 4, 2016

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    how to make pumpkin pureeLet’s talk about how to make pumpkin puree.

    In the fall, I love baking with pumpkin (if you haven’t already noticed)! I love making pumpkin cookies (my kids’ favorites), pumpkin bread, even pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. 😉 Needless to say, I have to buy a lot of canned pumpkin at the store.

    I have been seeing a lot of tutorials for how to make pumpkin puree on Pinterest, so I wanted to give it a try myself. I mean, with all of my pumpkin baking, how cool would it be to just reach in my freezer and grab some pumpkin puree?

    I made my own pumpkin puree for the first time and I have to tell you, it was SO easy!! Really, I asked myself how come I haven’t been doing this all along. There aren’t a lot of tools or fancy equipment you need. The only thing I would suggest is a food processor. I have a food processor similar to this one, and I love it! I have used it for years and it is still going strong. My food processor holds about 10 cups, so it is a great size for this recipe.

    pumpkin puree facebook image

    Are you ready to learn how to make pumpkin puree? This is so easy, you may never buy canned pumpkin again. I’m not kidding.

    How to make Pumpkin Puree:

    pumpkin

    Find a pumpkin. It doesn’t matter whether you grew one in your garden, found one in the patch or picked one up from the store. Any pumpkin will do.

    pumpkin half

    Cut your pumpkin in half. I used a small knife to remove the stem and then a large knife to cut it in half. This did take a little strength, but it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be.

    remove seeds

    Remove all of the seeds. If your family likes pumpkin seeds, you can save them and bake them up later.

    face down pumpkin

    Place pumpkin halves face down on a large cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 F oven for 50 minutes to an hour. When you can pierce the outside of the pumpkin easily with a fork, you know your pumpkin is done.

    remove skin

    Let the pumpkin cool slightly and then begin removing the skin. Don’t let it cool too much otherwise the skin will get harder to remove. I used a fork and my fingers to remove the skin.

    skin gone

    I was surprised at how easily the skin came off. It maybe took me 5 minutes to remove the skin from both halves of my pumpkin.

    pumpkin chunks

    Once all of the skin is removed, cut the pumpkin into chunks and place them in your food processor. I had a small to medium sized pumpkin so i was able to fit about a fourth of my pumpkin in the food processor at one time. I probably could have put more, but I don’t like to overfill it.

    pumpkin puree

    Blend until you have a nice smooth puree. I turned my food processor on 2 for about 20 seconds and 1 for another 10 seconds or so. The pumpkin is so soft, it becomes nice and smooth very quickly.how to make and freeze pumpkin puree

     

    I placed my pumpkin puree into freezer bags in 1 cup increments. This will make my life easier when I am baking something with pumpkin because it will already be measured out for me. I just have to remove the pumpkin puree from the freezer about 30 minutes before I need it and I’ll be all set!

    With my pumpkin I was able to get 10 cups of pumpkin puree! That’s more than 5 cans of pumpkin! This pumpkin cost me $2.99 at the store. A can of pumpkin starts at about $1 in the store (name brand will cost you more), so this is a nice savings.pumpkin in bags

    This was SO easy to do, I am really surprised I have not tried this before. I don’t think I will ever go back to buying store canned pumpkin again!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print
    How to make pumpkin puree
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    50 mins
    Total Time
    1 hr
     

    how to make pumpkin puree - save money by making your own pumpkin puree for your favorite recipes. Try these easy pumpkin puree recipes.

    Course: Sauces
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: How to make pumpkin puree
    Calories: 50 kcal
    Author: Eating on a Dime
    Ingredients
    • 1 pumpkin
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
    2. Cut pumpkin in half and remove all of the seeds.
    3. Place pumpkin halves face down on a large cookie sheet.
    4. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes to an hour. When you poke the outside of the skin with a fork and it is tender, the pumpkin is done.
    5. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
    6. With a fork and your fingers, remove the skin of the pumpkin. It should come off easily. If you let the pumpkin cool too much it may be more difficult.
    7. Cut pumpkin into chunks and place in the food processor. Blend until you have a nice smooth puree.
    8. Place 1 cup each into freezer bags. Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before you are ready to use.
    Recipe Notes

    Making your own pumpkin puree is super easy! 

    Nutrition Facts
    How to make pumpkin puree
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 50
    % Daily Value*
    Sodium 1mg0%
    Potassium 657mg19%
    Carbohydrates 12g4%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 16460IU329%
    Vitamin C 17.4mg21%
    Calcium 41mg4%
    Iron 1.5mg8%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Just a side note – I wanted to try my hand at canning the pumpkin because I thought that would be easier. The FDA highly recommends against NOT canning your own pumpkin! This is a very low acidic food and can very easily become poisonous. I wasn’t going to risk it. Putting the pumpkin in freezer bags was super easy (and safe)! 🙂

    Try some of these pumpkin puree recipes

    • Pumpkin Roll Recipe
    • Pumpkin Cupcakes
    • easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe
    • Quick and Easy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
    • Baked Pumpkin Pancakes

    Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, freezer, Freezer Tips, Kid Friendly, Kitchen Tips, My Thrifty Kitchen, Recipes, Ways to save money Carrie 1 Comment

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    Comments

    1. Debbie says

      November 16, 2018 at 8:46 am

      It is helpful to drain the pumpkin while thawing. You can use the liquid in soups, sauces etc. If your pumpkin is quite sweet, the juice is a nice drink as well.

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