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Homemade Pumpkin Puree

2013 October 6

Homemade Pumpkin Puree via LeafandGrain.com

Autumn is the season of the pumpkin. In the weeks leading up to the comfort food feast of Thanksgiving, cravings for homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies (and, of course, pumpkin spiced lattes, homemade or not) really kick in.

A few years ago, there was a pumpkin shortage in the U.S., and shelves that normally held the ubiquitous cans of Libby’s pumpkin purée were empty. All season long [gasp!].

That’s when I learned to make my own, from fresh pumpkins.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree via LeafandGrain.com

Pie pumpkins — or sugar pumpkins, as they’re sometimes called — are smaller and sweeter than Halloween’s huge Jack O’ Lantern field pumpkins (which have the added disadvantage of being rather grainy). Pie pumpkins are widely available at grocery stores and farmers’ markets, from September through the holidays.

I scored these two babies for $1 apiece at a nearby front-yard produce stand — a bargain in my area, as that’s cheaper than even a can of the store’s generic brand of purée (a pie pumpkin yields more purée than a commercial 15 ounce can). Plus, they were organically grown mere miles from my house, by a fellow home gardener who produces enough to sell to the neighborhood.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree via LeafandGrain.com

The best part: the purée itself is so simple to make. Pie pumpkins are much easier to handle than field pumpkins — a chef’s knife will make a clean, single cut through the squash (no “sawing” needed), and a serrated grapefruit spoon makes quick work of removing the pulp and seeds (no more difficult than a cantaloupe).

Roast the pumpkin in the oven, scrape the flesh from the skin, and mash with a large fork or purée in a blender. Done. Use immediately in your recipe, or bag it up in one-cup quantities and freeze it (where it lasts for months and bakes up wonderfully after thawing).

My 2 3/4 pound pumpkin produced 3 cups of purée; a can of Libby’s contains only 1 3/4 cups.

Oh! And while you have all of those lovely pumpkin seeds piled on your cutting board, don’t forget that they make fabulous snacks. Clean them free of the stringy pumpkin pulp with a quick rinsing in a sieve, and roast them in the oven with your favorite seasonings. I made these Honey Sriracha Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with last year’s pumpkin seed leftovers and came away completely, hopelessly addicted.

Karen xo

 

Homemade Pumpkin Puree
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 2-3 cups
 

Ingredients
  • 1 pie pumpkin, weighing 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5kg)
  • water

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Slice the pumpkin in half vertically, starting with a cut next to the stem. (If the stem is long, slice it off at its base.) Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp using an ice cream scoop, a sharp-edged spoon, or a serrated grapefruit spoon. If you’d like, slice each pumpkin half into two wedges – it will cook a bit faster.
  3. Arrange the pumpkin pieces in a baking dish, skin side up, and add water to cover the bottom by 1/4”.
  4. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 to 70 minutes. Total baking time will vary, depending on the size of the pumpkin and the thickness of its walls. Begin checking for doneness at the 45 minute mark: a knife inserted into the outer pumpkin skin will yield easily, and the flesh will be orange and tender.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool.
  6. When the pieces can be safely handled, scrape out the flesh, discarding the skin. Purée in a blender or by hand with a large-tined fork.
  7. Use immediately or keep in the refrigerator for several days. For long-term storage, freeze in a heavy-duty bag or container.



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