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Pumpkin Puree
About this Tip
When pumpkins are in season, I make purée and freeze it in recipe-sized portions to use throughout the year. It's perfect for pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, soups, muffins, and anything else that calls for pumpkin.
You'll often hear that sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins make the best purée. They're certainly good choices, but I don't worry too much about growing a specific variety just for cooking. Garden space is limited, so I grow the pumpkins I'm excited to see in the garden. Some years that's a Cinderella pumpkin, another year it might be a Jack-o'-lantern or something completely different.
Some varieties have more flesh than others, but fresh pumpkin from the garden has always made better purée than anything I've bought in a can.
How I Make Pumpkin Purée
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When pumpkins are in season, I make purée and freeze it in recipe-sized portions to use throughout the year. It's perfect for pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, soups, muffins, and anything else that calls for pumpkin.
-
You'll often hear that sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins make the best purée. They're certainly good choices, but I don't worry too much about growing a specific variety just for cooking. Garden space is limited, so I grow the pumpkins I'm excited to see in the garden. Some years that's a Cinderella pumpkin, another year it might be a Jack-o'-lantern or something completely different.
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Some varieties have more flesh than others, but fresh pumpkin from the garden has always made better purée than anything I've bought in a can.
Freezing Pumpkin Purée
Allow the purée to cool completely before freezing.
I freeze it in recipe-sized portions so it's ready whenever I want pumpkin bread or pie. Then I simply thaw what I need instead of opening a can.
Notes
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The roasting time depends entirely on the size of the pumpkin.
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I don't worry whether the pumpkin is facing cut-side up or down. Large pumpkins often have to be quartered, and I simply arrange the pieces however they fit in the pan.
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If your purée seems wetter than you'd like, let it drain in a fine-mesh strainer before freezing.
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Label containers with the amount of purée they hold so you know exactly what you're thawing later.
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Save the seeds for roasting or planting next season.