It is easy to make pumpkin puree and depending on the prices of pumpkins in your area, it can save you quite a bit of money.
When you make pumpkin puree you want to use baking pumpkins instead of carving pumpkins. Baking pumpkins are smaller, more flavorful, and contain less water. Sugar pumpkins are my favorite baking pumpkins, so I grow them in my garden. If you aren’t a gardener, you can usually pick up a baking pumpkin for around$2.00 at farm stands, pumpkin patches and grocery stores.
How to Roast a Pumpkin:
It is easier to cut the pumpkin in half if you cut it crosswise instead of from the top to bottom.
Scoop out the pumpkin seeds. If you have a grapefruit spoon it can help speed up the process. Save the seeds! Rinse them, let them dry, and then use them to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.
Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down on the baking sheet. I cover my baking sheet with foil so I don’t have to worry about the pumpkins getting stuck to the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes.
When the pumpkins are ready, the skin will be darker in color and can easily be pierced by a fork.
How To Make Pumpkin Puree
Use a spoon to remove the pumpkin skin from the cooked pumpkin. You may be able to lift it off in one piece. If not, just use the spoon to tear off the skin in pieces. Now you are ready to puree the pumpkin.
You can use an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender to puree your pumpkin. Just use which ever one you already own. I pureed one half of the cooked pumpkin at a time using my immersion blender. You can use the puree as is, if you aren’t baking with it. If you are baking, you need to squeeze out the excess liquid before using it in a recipe.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Puree
You can freeze your pureed pumpkin. Measure it out into the amounts you use in recipes. Pumpkin Pie usually calls for 1 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin. Many of my recipes call for a cup of pumpkin, so I divided my puree into 4 baggies with 1 cup of pumpkin each. My 3 1/2 pound pumpkin produced a little over 4 cups of pumpkin puree.
Printable Recipe for Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin Puree Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sugar pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cover a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut the pumpkin in half crosswise.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the skin darkens and it can easily be pierced by a fork.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Remove the skin.
- Place one half of the pumpkin in a bowl, blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Repeat with the remaining pumpkin.
- If using in baked goods, place the pumpkin in cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Use the pumpkin puree in a recipe, or freeze it for future use.
Cz says
I have never drained my pumpkin puree. I freeze and use for baking no problem.
Dawn says
I used my pumpkin Juice strained from my puree to make a Pumpkin Cinnamon Jelly.. I put about 6 cinnamon sticks in the juice I had about 7 cups and brought it to a simmer for about 10 mins. Then strained the juice to get the small pieces of Cinnamon out of the juice. Then follow the Sure-jell box and use the grape juice recipe for this Pumpkin Cinnamon Jelly. Its very pretty and my family loved it.
Brandi says
Dawn! Thank you for this idea! I always can my pumpkin juice for extra broth if I need it; but this sounds lovely! I can’t wait to try it! I’m roasting my pumpkins right now!❤️
Brandi
Olga says
HELP!!!!!! My puree is super thin and watery. When I squeeze through cheese cloth the pumpkin comes out too. I’ve never had this problem before. I don’t use the round orange pumpkins, I use the turbine ones. I’m so upset, I wasted all the time roasting blending and then this happens.
Alea Milham says
The recipe is for baking pumpkins, so the puree will be different if you use a different type of pumpkin. You can try squeezing the puree through a thin white flour sack towel. The flour sack is thicker than cheesecloth, so it should keep the pumpkin from coming out.
Margery says
Any ideas as to what one can do with the liquid from the purée?
Kathy says
Someone above mentioned useing the liquid for jelly
Brandi says
I can mine to add for broth!
Peggy says
How long can it stay in the freezer?
Laurie says
The image of the pumpkin and the recipe/directions were inspiring! I made the purée yesterday, placed it in a flour sack type dish towel to squeeze out the liquid and hung it over the kitchen faucet overnight to drain any residue liquid. In the morning it was quite dry so I scooped it evenly into 2 quart bags, labeled them and flattened them nicely so they will stack into the freezer well. So, 2 pumpkins, 2 pies. Was so satisfying will probably do it again for 2-4 more pies for the year. Thanks, was fun!
Sal says
What is the puree is too liquidy ? What should I do if I want to make a pie with it ?
Alea Milham says
Strain it to remove the excess liquid. You can put it in cheesecloth or a thin white “floursack” dishcloth. Then squeeze out the excess liquid.
Jody says
Can u use jack o lantern pumpkins i have 3 not cut.
Catherine says
I’m doing my pumpkin puree now and I squeezed out the excess but it seems like it’s really dry do you leave some liquid in there?
Alea Milham says
You can squeeze out as much or as little as you wish. If you are making pumpkin pie with it, you will want it pretty dry.
PAT says
For those asking about the plain flavor of this puree. If you are wanting to use it for pies or cookies and such, you still need to add the spices and sugar,milk, and other things as you would with a canned pumpkin you would buy from the store. The flavor and texture of the home grown baking pumpkins are much better though. I found a pumpkin some years ago I was given by an amish family and have grown it ever since. The texture and flavor makes a pie that is like a pumpkin custard. So delishious. It’s called a Crook Neck Pumkin, or neck pumpkin. There are a few different names for it and you probably won’t find the seeds down at the feed store and most of the popular seed catalogs don’t carry them. But if you search them you’ll find them at some of the more obscure seed suppliers. Believe me , they are well worth the look 🙂
Frances Black says
I would like to be able to can the puree in the small jars to give as gifts. Is this possible? I am giving small jars of various food items for Christmas gifts. So far I
have made several jellies, peach pickles, banana butter etc. Friends look forward to this as most of them don’t do any of this “old fashioned” cooking or canning. I have always done this and my Mom did also. I am really enjoying reading about what all of you women are doing.
Shani says
So I just roasted my first pumpkin. I have to say it was rather huge but I did everything the recipe above stated. I did cook it a little longer due to the size, however it is still yellowish in color and a little “stringy”. Is this normal or should I have cooked longer? Basically all I do is make cookies with pumpkin so I thought this might save me some money doing this instead
Brahmina says
How do you go about squeezing the liquid out? Thanks!
Alea Milham says
Place the pureed pumpkin in cheesecloth and then squeeze out the excess liquid.
Amanda says
Thank you so much for this easy tutorial. I am sharing this on my blog!
Tina says
Love this! I always make my pies with just pure pumpkin puree and they have way more flavour than my mother’s storebought-filling pies. I use whatever pumpkins are handy though, even the big ones, though I always plant sugar pumpkins. Even up here in zone 2b, they still grow wonderfully!
Maggie says
After reading the comments, Im guessing you cant just use any pumpkin for this? :/
Alea Milham says
It works best with smaller, baking pumpkins.
Maggie says
I was hoping to use the ones we got from our local patch, have our money go a little further (and something fun to do as Ive never done this). Is there something I can add to the puree to make it better or is it not even worth a try?
Renee says
I’ve used the ones that we got from our pumpkin patch last year. Did the exact method of cooking the pumpkin. I looked up a recipe, which I have to find again, and the pies I made turned out fantastic. So don’t give up just yet. Give it a whirl and see what ya get.
Joyce says
Just baked a pumpkin & it has no flavor at all. I asked for a pie pumpkin at the market & was told all the small ones were pie pumpkins. You mentioned sugar pumpkins but have not been able to find them. Any suggestions how I can get that pumpkin flavor?
Alea Milham says
I grow my own sugar pumpkins. Not all small pumpkins are created the same, I would recommend calling a few stores and seeing if you can find one that carries sugar pumpkins.
Stephanie says
Just wondering if you’d squeeze out the liquid before freezing? Thanks 🙂
Alea Milham says
If you are going to bake with it, then you should squeeze out the excess liquid.
Danielle says
How do you squeeze out the liquid so it can be used for baking pies?
Brook says
You would wrap it in cheese cloth and squeeze out the liquid.
Melanie a/k/a CrazyMom says
What a great idea… Thanks for sharing this simple tip that will come in handy; Pumpkin Puree isn’t cheap anymore and this is a great way to save and know what’s in your puree as well.. Love it. Saw it on pinterest and just had to come over and check it out.