Pumpkin Puree – Make Your Own

Homemade pumpkin puree is a natural and nutritious staple that is as versatile as it is healthy.

Well worth the time it takes. It's a good lesson for the kids too, to know that food doesn't always come from a can. 

What You Need:

1 large pumpkin

How to Make It:

Using a very sharp knife remove the stem from the pumpkin.
Using a very sharp knife remove the stem from the pumpkin.Cut the pumpkin into 8 wedges.
Remove the seeds and pulp making sure that the pumpkin is completely clean.
Place the pumpkin wedges into a large roasting pan.
Bring the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Place the pumpkin wedges in the oven, uncovered and roast 60 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue baking 2 hours.
The pumpkin meat should be fork tender and no liquid should be visible under the skin that has formed.
Turn off the oven but leave the pumpkin wedges in the oven with the oven door slightly cracked to ventilate for 2 more hours.
Remove the wedges from the oven and cut away any skin or exceptionally dry pieces of meat.
Place the wedges into the blender or food processor.
Puree until you achieve the smooth texture you are looking for.
Use the puree in your favorite pumpkin dish or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Serving amount depends on the size of the pumpkin.

When removing the dry parts of the meat after roasting remember that even though it is dry it is still tender enough to use. The parts that may be too dry and not usable will be around the area of where the stem was cut away. Also when you puree the meat you will have to scrape and stir the pieces for a few minutes. They are too heavy to move on their own until they begin to liquefy and loose the heaviness.

If you need some help to get this yummy recipe on the table, sign up for our free Meal Time On Time ecourse – a full week of meal planning tips and ideas.