There's no need to buy canned pumpkin when you can easily roast a whole pumpkin and make homemade pumpkin puree! It's easy, inexpensive and delicious for fall pumpkin recipes. Learn how with this simple tutorial!
Welcome to the first ever Lively Table Pumpkin Week! I've gotten into the pumpkin mood a little earlier than usual this year, maybe because we had a nice week of unseasonably cool weather in early September, or perhaps because 2020 has been a strange year with no sense of time whatsoever. Maybe I'm just seeking the comfort of all things fall sooner than normal. Whatever the reason, I'm bringing you all things PUMPKIN this week here on the blog, starting with this easy recipe for homemade pumpkin puree.
Why Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
- Necessity. In true 2020 fashion, I've seen reports of canned pumpkin shortage. So necessity may be the reason you're looking to make your own pumpkin puree. Because we all need the comfort of stress baking 25 loaves of pumpkin bread this year.
- Price. Homemade pumpkin puree is also much less expensive than the canned kind. Especially if you buy the organic kind. For about a $3 pumpkin, I made about 8 cups of pumpkin puree - roughly the equivalent of 4 cans. (Prices will vary based on region and where you buy your pumpkin, of course.)
- Less waste. If you've been around Lively Table for a while, you know I hate wasting food. Which is why I first decided to roast a pumpkin last year. I had one leftover from Halloween, so I decided to give it a go. Turns out, it was incredibly easy and I will never again throw away a pumpkin.
- Because you can. It's the year of learning new skills, so add cooking a pumpkin and making pumpkin pie from scratch - down to the pumpkin puree - to the list of things you now know how to do.
What Kind Of Pumpkin Should I Use?
Technically, you can use any kind of pumpkin. They're all edible gourds. Last year I roasted a giant pumpkin (the kind you'd use to make a Jack-o'-Lantern) and it turned out great! However, standard pumpkins like this tend to be more watery, so they aren't as good for baking with in recipes that use canned pumpkin puree. If you're planning on baking with your homemade puree, look for a Sugar Pumpkin or Pie Pumpkin for the best texture.
How To Roast A Whole Pumpkin
- If you want to make pumpkin puree, you'll first need to roast your pumpkin. There are several ways to do this, but my favorite (and the easiest, in my opinion) is to roast it whole. It's much easier to cut and clean a cooked pumpkin. Here's how:
- Wash the pumpkin.
- Use a sharp knife to pierce the pumpkin in several places so that steam can release as it cooks. Place it in a baking dish.
- Roast in the oven at 350°F for about an hour, or until a fork can easily penetrate the skin. If your pumpkin is big, it may take a little bit longer.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool to the touch. You can cut out and remove the stem to help the cooling process along.
How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Once cool, cut the pumpkin into fourths.
- Scoop out the seeds (save them for roasting!) and peel or cut the skin off.
- Cut the pumpkin flesh into cubes.
- Place pumpkin cubes into a high-powered blender or food processor (such as a Vitamix) and blend until smooth, using the tamper or stopping to scrape down with a spatula, as necessary.
- Store pumpkin as desired and use in all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!
Tips For Making Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- You don't have to blend all of the pumpkin. You can save some of the cubes to eat in salads, or seasoned as you would with other winter squash, if you'd like. It's delicious!
- If the puree is too thick for the blender to handle, you may need to add just a little bit of water to help the blending along.
- As I mentioned, using a large standard pumpkin (not a sugar or pie pumpkin) may result in a thinner puree. To thicken it, you can either strain some of the liquid out through cheesecloth for a good while, or cook it in a saucepan on the stove until it's thickened. You can also just decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe you're using.
- Sometimes the skin of the pumpkin just won't get soft in the oven. If it's been over an hour and the skin is still very hard, chances are the pumpkin is done and you can proceed with the recipe.
How Long Does Pumpkin Puree Last?
Pumpkin puree can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week. I like to store mine in mason jars.
Can Pumpkin Puree Be Canned?
For safety reasons, I do not recommend canning pumpkin, even with a pressure cooker. The high water content, low acidity, and thickness of pumpkin puree make it unsafe to can at home. You can, however, safely can the cubed pumpkin (before it has been pureed). You can find out how on the Ball Canning website. If you want to preserve your pumpkin puree beyond the time it will last in the refrigerator, freezing it is your best bet.
How To Freeze Pumpkin Puree
You can easily store pumpkin puree in freezer-safe containers for months. However, my favorite way to freeze it is in large silicone ice cube molds (like these 1-cup molds) so that you can take out and thaw exactly the amount you need. Simply spread the puree into the molds, freeze, then pop out the frozen cubes and store them in a freezer bag. Make sure you label the bag so you know exactly what it is and how much is in each cube! Place frozen cubes in the refrigerator to thaw overnight or speed defrost them as needed in the microwave.
Delicious Recipes for Using Your Homemade Pumpkin Puree:
- Chocolate Chunk Banana Pumpkin Bread
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes
- Healthy No Bake pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Homemade Pumpkin Puree from a Whole Pumpkin
There's no need to buy canned pumpkin when you can easily roast a whole pumpkin and make homemade pumpkin puree! It's easy, inexpensive and delicious for fall pumpkin recipes. Learn how with this simple tutorial!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: varies
- Category: vegtables
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 whole sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin (other varieties will work too)
Instructions
- Wash the pumpkin.
- Use a sharp knife to pierce the pumpkin in several places so that steam can release as it cooks. Place it in a baking dish.
- Roast in the oven at 350°F for about an hour, or until a fork can easily penetrate the skin. If your pumpkin is big, it may take a little bit longer.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool to the touch. You can cut out and remove the stem to help the cooling process along.
- Once cool, cut the pumpkin into fourths.
- Scoop out the seeds (save them for roasting!) and peel or cut the skin off.
- Cut the pumpkin flesh into cubes.
- Place pumpkin cubes into a high-powered blender or food processor (such as a Vitamix) and blend until smooth, using the tamper or stopping to scrape down with a spatula, as necessary.
- Store pumpkin as desired and use in all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!
Notes
- Store puree in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- You don't have to blend all of the pumpkin. You can save some of the cubes to eat in salads, or seasoned as you would with other winter squash, if you'd like. It's delicious!
- If the puree is too thick for the blender to handle, you may need to add just a little bit of water to help the blending along.
- As I mentioned, using a large standard pumpkin (not a sugar or pie pumpkin) may result in a thinner puree. To thicken it, you can either strain some of the liquid out through cheesecloth for a good while, or cook it in a saucepan on the stove until it's thickened. You can also just decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe you're using.
- Sometimes the skin of the pumpkin just won't get soft in the oven. If it's been over an hour and the skin is still very hard, chances are the pumpkin is done and you can proceed with the recipe.
Keywords: how to roast a whole pumpkin, how to make pumpkin puree, homemade pumpkin puree
Nancy Jocoy says
I am wondering (as I am processing a lot of seminole pumpkins and normally I cut them scoop them pull out pulp and seeds - and cook the pulp and roast the seeds (a lot of work to separate)
Can we eat the seeds after the pumpkin is roasted this way - maybe a quick browning in a hot skillet with oil and salt?
★★★★
Kaleigh says
Yes, you can roast them as normal after cooking this way!
Rockie says
Pie pumpkins can be hard to find, and occasionally, I get one that's stringy rather than smooth. Butternut squash works well as an alternative. I cannot tell any difference in taste when used in pie, and it's always makes a smooth puree.