This is another one of those things that, like making stock, I think everyone should know how to do. It’s ridiculously easy, much cheaper, and tastes a lot better. Of course I’m talking about making pumpkin puree.
The finished product: light, fluffy, and delicious.
Homemade pumpkin puree can be used in place of canned pumpkin with no trouble. It won’t keep very long in the fridge, however, so if you don’t plan on using it within a few days I recommend freezing it. I’ve had great success filling and stacking ziploc bags in my freezer. One thing I really like about making my own pumpkin puree is that there is so little waste–even the seeds can be eaten, and literally every other part of the pumpkin can be composted.
Start with a sweet little pumpkin, halved and with the insides scooped out.
I have a bigger pumpkin I’m planning on using as well, but I started with this sweet little guy (called Pick A Pie, according to the sign at the pumpkin patch) with the noble aim of making a pumpkin pie from scratch for thanksgiving. That didn’t exactly pan out, but the puree still went to good use. Anyway, start with your desired pumpkin. Cut it in half and scoop out the guts, making sure to save the seeds for something tasty (I think Martha’s Pumpkin Seed Candy or Trail Mix would both make wonderful gifts!). Compost the remaining gooey innards.
Open part down in a couple of inches of water.
Place the pumpkin halves face-down in a baking dish so that they’re sitting in a couple inches of water. Bake at 350° for about an hour, or until the outside of the pumpkin is noticeably darker and easily pierced with a fork.
The shell is supposed to be this flimsy.
Remove the pumpkin halves from the oven and allow them to cool, then scoop the soft insides into a big mixing bowl if you have an immersion blender, or into your food processor if you have a food processor (if you have both, I suggest the immersion blender because they’re so much easier to clean). Puree the pumpkin flesh so that it’s smooth and fluffy. Use immediately in your favorite pumpkin recipes, store in the fridge for a few days, or freeze!
It looks a little like bad spaghetti squash before you puree it.
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