Making your own pumpkin puree is fun and relatively simple. Two pumpkins will give you enough puree to last you through the winter, and is infinitely better than anything out of an orange can. To make the puree, be sure and choose a pie pumpkin; a carving pumpkin will not work! Pie pumpkins – unlike their carving cousins – are smaller and have a thicker skin. A good pie pumpkin is around 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The pumpkin should have a good orange color and no soft spots.
Pumpkin Purée
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 50 to 60 minutes
YIELD: 6 cups of pumpkin purée
WHAT TO GRAB:
2 pie pumpkins, with a good orange color
HOW YOU DO IT:
1.Rinse the pumpkin off, and cut the pumpkin into quarters, vertically. This is probably the hardest part of the whole recipe. These guys have a thick skin! I recommend a serrated knife and patience. Scrape the strings and seeds out of the pumpkin, and place the segments, rind-side up, in a large baking pan.
2. Bake the pumpkin at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The pumpkin meat will be tender to a fork when it’s done, and the rind will be a nice golden brown.
3. Scoop the meat into a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. I used an immersion blender for convenience, but a food processor would work equally well. You can freeze the leftover puree until needed.
4. Set aside a 1/2 cup of the puree for pumpkin pancakes!
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