Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin!
Who’s ready for ALL the pumpkin from now until Christmas?
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I was so disappointed the first autumn I spent in England after I realised that canned pumpkin wasn’t really a big thing here. I couldn’t find it anywhere and I was dying for some pumpkin bread. I’m embarrassed to admit that I actually ended up paying about five bucks for a single can of pumpkin off Amazon because I was so desperate and idiotic.
Had I stopped to think about it for 2 seconds I would have realised that canned pumpkins were once fresh pumpkins and it’s not actually that hard to make. Oops.
On the bright side, making pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin has been so cost effective that I’m sure I’ve save myself the money I once spent on Amazon pumpkin by making my own at home.
SO
Let’s get to it!
(For step by step instructions without pictures just scroll on down to the bottom.)
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PUREE
Step 1: Pumpkin Prep
Pick out your pumpkin! I recommend a  medium/small cooking pumpkin as it’s easier to cut and work with. As a general rule of thumb a three pound pumpkin will make 3 cups of pumpkin puree.
Once you’ve got your pumpkin picked out give a rinse to remove any excess dirt on the skin and then preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C
Step 2: Cut
Using a good, sharp knife cut the pumpkin in half.
Place the knife at the top of the pumpkin right next the stem. Slowly and carefully push the knife down cutting lengthwise down the pumpkin. Stop every so often to wiggle the knife just slightly to widen the cut as you work your way down.
Once you’ve cut through one side repeat on the other side. The pumpkin should be connected only by the stem now which you should be able to pull apart until you’ve got two pumpkin halves. You should be able to pull out the stem at this point with a little effort as well.
You can cut the pumpkin into quarters if you’ve like – it’s up to you.
Step 3: Scoop
Use a spoon to scoop out the stringy insides and seeds of the pumpkin.
Once the pumpkin is hollowed out rub a little bit of oil all around the pumpkin – inside and out. I used coconut oil but you can use another oil if you’d prefer.
Step 4: Bake
Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet. You can face them up or down – either way will work fine. Bake in the oven until the pumpkin is fork tender. Depending on the size/amount your time will vary. For small pumpkins/small pieces you’ll need about 45-60 minutes. For large pumpkins you’ll need 60-90 minutes.
Once the pumpkin is fork tender remove from the oven and set aside until it’s cool enough to handle.
Step 5: Remove Skin
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle use a fork or knife to scrape out the insides of the pumpkin. You should be able to remove everything easily leaving behind only the skin.
Step 6: Puree
Transfer the scooped out pumpkin to a food processor or high speed blender and blitz until smooth.
You may need to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally. If you’re using a blender you may also need to blend the pumpkin in batches.
When the pumpkin is completely pureed with no remaining chunks you’re done!
Pumpkins usually contain a lot of water so you may want to strain the pumpkin before using. You can strain it through a cheese cloth or line a sieve/fine mesh strainer with a paper towel set over a deep bowl and let it strain out for a couple of hours.
And that’s it! You’ve got pumpkin puree!
How to Store
Keep stored in the fridge in a sealed, air tight container for up to five days.
Keep stored in the freeze about 8 months to a year. To store in the freezer divide up the puree 1/4, 1/2 cup or 1 cup at a time in small freezer safe bags with as much air pressed out as you can get. When you need them remove from the freezer and let defrost at room temperature. There may some extra liquid after it thaws  – no worries! Just blot it with a paper towel and you should be good to go.
Pumpkin Puree
How to Make Pumpkin Puree from fresh pumpkins
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium cooking pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C
- Wash the skin of your pumpkin removing any excess dirt.
- Using a good, sharp knife cut the pumpkin in half.
- Place the knife at the top of the pumpkin right next the stem. Slowly and carefully push the knife down cutting lengthwise down the pumpkin. Stop every so often to wiggle the knife just slightly to widen the cut as you work your way down.
- Once you've cut through one side repeat on the other side. The pumpkin should be connected only by the stem now which you should be able to pull apart until you've got two pumpkin halves. For faster cooking you can cut the pumpkin into quarters if you'd like. Pull out the stem.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the stringy insides and seeds of the pumpkin.
- Once the pumpkin is hollowed out rub a little bit of oil all around the pumpkin - inside and out. I used coconut oil but you can use another oil if you'd prefer.
- Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet. You can face them up or down - either way will work fine. Bake in the oven until the pumpkin is fork tender. Depending on the size/amount your time will vary. For small pumpkins/small pieces you'll need about 45-60 minutes. For large pumpkins you'll need 60-90 minutes.
- When done baking remove from the oven and place on a flat surface to let sit until cool enough to handle.
- When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle use a fork or knife to scrape out the insides of the pumpkin. You should be able to remove everything easily leaving behind only the skin.
- Transfer the scooped out pumpkin to a food processor or high speed blender and blitz until smooth.
- You may need to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally. If you're using a blender you may also need to blend the pumpkin in batches.
- When the pumpkin is completely pureed with no remaining chunks you're done!
Notes
Pumpkins usually contain a lot of water so you may want to strain the pumpkin before using. You can strain it through a cheese cloth or line a sieve/fine mesh strainer with a paper towel set over a deep bowl and let it strain out for a couple of hours.
The amount of puree will vary depending on how large your pumpkin is
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