How to Make Pumpkin Puree From Scratch
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If you’re subscribed to me on YouTube, then you know for the month of October I’ve been celebrating the goodness of pumpkins with plenty of pumpkin recipes! Ranging from my favourite potato and pumpkin curry Aloo Kohra to a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I’ve really made more pumpkin so far this month than I probably have in my entire life! I have to admit I’ve never been so excited to have pumpkin before, and I actually had to really squeeze in time to make all of the pumpkin recipes I wanted to share for the month! I got super inspired! If you need some motivation in the kitchen then I encourage you to check out my free guide 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! I go over in more details how using up what you have and having a theme can spark creativity in the kitchen and you’ll make dishes you never thought you could do before! Also, this Pumpkin Pure from Scratch recipe will yield a fair amount, so you won’t run out of ideas to use up this puree! If you’re scratching your head on what to make, then check out the bottom of this post
If you had purchased some pumpkins as decorations for Halloween this year, then multipurpose them afterward and use them in puree! In addition, perhaps you’ve always wanted to try making a pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake, and you were curious to make it all from scratch. Having your own pumpkin puree will help you do that! If any pumpkin recipe has been on your bucket list for awhile, use this homemade pumpkin puree to achieve that as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Check out my free guides by signing up the newsletter, and if you’ve made your own pumpkin puree in a recipe don’t forget to share it by tagging me on Instagram! I love to see what you’ve made! Let’s get cooking!
What is Pumpkin Puree?
Pumpkin puree is exactly that: Pureed pumpkins! It consists of the flesh that has been cooked, then blended into a smooth mix. When you purchase pumpkin puree in the can, it should say 100% pumpkin as the only ingredient. Keep in mind that Pumpkin puree is NOT the same as pumpkin pie filling! You want to use pumpkin puree in all recipes calling for pumpkin. Pumpkin puree has no sweeteners or anything else added, whereas the pumpkin pie filling contains spices, sugar, and water. The purpose of pumpkin pie filling is as the name suggests - to use it directly into a pie so you don’t have to sweeten it yourself. However, it’s not customizable whereas pumpkin puree is. You can use pumpkin puree in desserts, drinks, pasta, and risotto! You cannot do that with pumpkin pie filling! If you’ve purchased pumpkin pie filling by mistake, either make a pie soon or give it as a gift or exchange it at the store (hopefully you’ve kept the receipt!). On the other hand, if you’ve purchased pumpkin puree, the possibilities are endless!
Is Pumpkin Puree the same as canned pumpkin?
Yes, they mean the same thing! When a recipe calls for “pumpkin puree,” it usually refers to canned pumpkin puree. There is no difference at all, so don’t be confused!
Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin Puree Instead of canned?
Whenever a recipe calls for pumpkin puree, you can definitely use your own! In fact, it may make your final dish even more delicious than if you were to use the canned pumpkin puree! It’s all the same thing!
Why Make Your own Pumpkin Puree?
Minimal steps: You just gotta cut, de-seed, roast, peel and blend to get pumpkin puree at home! This entire procedure shouldn’t take too long and it will be easy to follow!
Delicious: I’ve found that homemade pumpkin puree was absolutely so tasty! You’ll taste the difference for sure!
Make-ahead friendly: You can make your pumpkin puree and easily portion it out and freeze it, so you’ll always have it on hand!
Cost-effective: Pumpkins are actually quite cheap, and even if you use a small pumpkin, this will make a lot of puree! An 800 mL can costs $7 CAD, whereas for me two small pumpkins only cost $2.50 CAD, and for only one small pumpkin I got about as much puree as from the can!
No waste: Got pumpkins that you’ve decorated? If they’re not only for decoration, then you can use them up to make puree! If you keep the seeds, they make for an excellent snack too!
Homemade pumpkin puree on the left and store-bought canned pumpkin puree on the right.
Is it worth it to make your own pumpkin puree?
Depends on you! After doing this for the first time, I believe it is! All of the points mentioned above are convincing for me, especially the cost. If you were to plan to make a recipe calling for pumpkin last-minute, then unfortunately making your own puree will take a lot of time and it will delay you, especially if you have a dinner party where you need to make a pumpkin pie. However, if you’ve carved out some time (no pun intended!) to prepare this puree, then it’s really really worth it! For many recipes, making the puree would probably be the longest step. Once you have it, it’s just mixing pumpkin puree with other ingredients for whatever you need! Personally I really enjoyed making my own pumpkin puree, and I loved the taste of it. I made it for the first time when writing this recipe and I plan on doing it again later this week! Honestly, this helped spark my excitement for pumpkin because I’ve found the homemade pumpkin much more delicious!
What Type of Pumpkin Should I Use?
Did you know that there are over 100 types of pumpkins? I honestly didn’t realize that until now! While they certainly aren’t all created equally, you can’t eat all of them too.
The pumpkin I’ve used here is called a small sugar pumpkin. They range from 5 to 8 pounds and are about 10 inches in diameter. While you may be tempted to use the big pumpkins you get at the pumpkin patches, the flesh is not the tastiest.
You want sweet and starchy pumpkins to make a pumpkin puree. If you’ve used a pumpkin that produces a watery puree, you’ll need to strain the excess moisture with a cheesecloth. I didn’t find the need to do that!
Here are my recommendations:
Blue pumpkins: Blue doll, Blue Hubbarb, and Blue Jarrahdale are excellent for making pumpkin puree! The orange flesh makes them excellent for pies.
Cinderella: They are also referred to as Rouge Vif d’Etampes. They are given the name “Cinderella” because these pumpkins look like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. The moist flesh makes these pumpkins perfect to puree for pies.
Dickinson Pumpkin: These are the pumpkins that are used in the canned pumpkins at grocery stores. They range from 10 to 40 pounds with a slightly round but elongated shape. They are about 18 inches long and 14 inches in diameter with a pale orange colour.
Fairytale: Similar to the Cinderella pumpkins but slightly larger. These pumpkins contain sweet flesh perfect for pies and curries. They are a vibrant orange colour on the outside and have a deep orange flesh.
Jack-o-Lantern: These are the typical large pumpkins you see at stores when fall rolls around. You can carve and cook them. They are medium-sized and slightly oblong-shaped.
Jarrahdale: These are an Australian variety of pies, the ribbed blue-gray pumpkins are super sweet and are amazing for pies!
Kabocha pumpkins: A Japanese type of pumpkin, they have a dark green skin and a firm yellow flesh that’s sweet. These are also common in India and Australia.
Long Island cheese: A perfect option for pies. They are pale orange in colour, and the name comes from the pumpkins resembling a large cheese wheel!
To learn more about pumpkin varieties, check out this list.
Colour & Texture differences of pumpkin puree
If you’ve used canned pumpkin in the past, you know it’s a very deep orange colour. However, you’ll see that our homemade pumpkin puree is much paler - it is a yellow-orange. Additionally, you’ll notice the textures are different too. The homemade pumpkin puree is much smoother and it’s not chunky compared to the store-bought pumpkin puree; the texture of the pumpkin puree from scratch looks like baby food or a jelly.
This is normal, and it’s because of the flesh of the pumpkin! When using your pumpkin puree from scratch, the colour of your food and baked goods will be significantly paler. Depending on what colour you are looking for - whether deep orange or a paler colour - keep this in mind when picking the pumpkin to make your puree with!
Equipment needed for homemade pumpkin puree
Ingredients for pumpkin puree
Fresh pumpkin: This is all you’ll need! Our pumpkin puree really just comes from blended up pumpkin. You can use a small, dense pumpkin of your choice from the list above. Pumpkins that will be in season will of course be the tastiest!
How to Make PUmpkin puree from scratch
Refer to the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card at the bottom of this post for complete instructions and to save the recipe for later!
Preheat oven to 400 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
Cut the pumpkin in half around the stem. Pull apart the pumpkin in half.
Then remove any seeds or fibers with the help of a spoon.
Place the pumpkin flesh side down on the baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Once the pumpkin is soft and fork-tender, peel the skin and discard. Let the pumpkin cooldown for 10-15 minutes.
Add the pumpkin to a food processor and add a couple splashes of water. Puree until thick and smooth. Add more water in small amounts as needed to puree the pumpkin.
Enjoy in your favourite pumpkin recipes!
Tips to make pumpkin puree easily!
Using a solid bread knife or serrated knife can make your life easier to slice through the pumpkin.
Before slicing in half, make sure your pumpkin can remain stable and steady on your work surface.
Once done cooking, the pumpkin should be fork tender and the peel should be able to come off with ease.
Add water little bit at a time while pureeing, you need just the minimum amount required to create the puree.
Can I can pumpkin puree?
No, it is highly recommended that you do not can pumpkin puree. Despite being acidic, according to the USDA, pumpkin puree is not acidic enough to can. Additionally should pumpkin butter, mashed pumpkin and winter squash should not be canned. You can only can pumpkin or winter squash that are cubed with the flesh on. There is a very specific process for this, so read more about canning pumpkins here if you’re interested.
How much pumpkin puree will a pumpkin yield?
One 2 pound sugar pumpkin should yield around 2 to 2 1/2 Cups of puree.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
To Store
You can store your Homemade Pumpkin Puree in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
To Freeze
Freeze the pumpkin puree in an airtight container. It will last for about 5 to 8 months, depending on how fresh your pumpkin was when you made the puree. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
You can also freeze pumpkin puree in ice cube trays if you want to use the puree for smoothies or iced lattes! Simply transfer the puree into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer. When it has completely frozen, you can add the ice cubes into a freezer bag so that your ice cube trays aren’t reserved! Seal the bag tightly, ensuring you’ve removed as much air as possible. When you’re ready to make your drink, simply plop the pumpkin puree ice cubes in!
Recipes to use your pumpkin puree!
Watch How to Make pumpkin puree from scratch here:
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