Every year, as the weather gets cooler, I get excited about cooking and baking with apples and pumpkins. So this fall, I was disappointed to find that the shelf that held canned pureed pumpkin was empty week after week. I was craving Pumpkin Cake and it just did not look like it was going to happen.
Then, I said to myself, You Can Make That! I strolled on over the produce section and picked up a 4 ½ pound pie pumpkin. I had no idea how to cook it. But, without it, my craving for Pumpkin Cake would go unsatisfied. I brought it home and it sat on my counter for a couple of days glaring at me.
When I had enough of the glaring, I asked my neighbor how to cook it. She gave me some instructions and I was able to handle it with no trouble. I even used it in my Pumpkin Cake Recipe and it turned out great. Although it was about the same price for me to make my own pumpkin puree as it would have been for me to buy it, I am glad that I now know how to do it. I feel like I conquered something by doing it myself!
Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Cut a pie pumpkin in half and scrape out all of the seeds. (Save seeds for future use or discard.) Place cut side down into a 9x13 baking pan. Add about one inch of water to the pan. Cook pumpkin in a 450˚ oven for 45-60 minutes or until the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a fork. Let it cool and then scrape out the flesh. Using a blender or food processor, puree the pumpkin for use in your favorite recipes. Store the pumpkin in the refrigerator to use right away or put it in the freezer for later. However, if you plan to freeze it, be sure to leave one inch of space at the top to allow for expansion.
Note: My 4 ½ pound pie pumpkin yielded 4 cups of puree.
Frugal Tip: If you have room, bake more than one recipe at a time, or double your recipe when baking things like fresh pumpkin. This is an efficient way to utilize your oven and to save time and money in the kitchen.
For years I cooked the pumpkins left over from Halloween by cutting them up & putting them in a large pot with some water in it & canning them. But your method is so much easier. I am glad you posted this as it is terrific for young cooks. Why throw those Halloween pumpkins in the garbage when you can still get some good healthy use from them? They make wonderful pies too, don't forget & it made my heart sing when I could see the orange spots from the pumpkin skin in my bottled pumpkin. I thought of the vitamins I was putting into our stomachs when we ate it. A much better product than in the cans on the grocery shelf!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. Fresh is definitely better than canned!
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