How to Make Pumpkin Puree From Fresh Pumpkins (2024)

FAQs

Can all pumpkins be used for puree? ›

Look for signs that say “sugar pumpkin” or “pie pumpkin.” They taste better than larger varieties. I don't recommend Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins for this. The smaller pumpkins taste better and have a more silky texture. Give the pumpkin a good rinse, and then cut it in half.

Fresh pumpkin is made with a sugar pie or baking pumpkin—not the kind of pumpkin you'd use for a jack-o-lantern. These pumpkins are smaller with sweeter flesh. To make pumpkin puree, the foundation for most pumpkin recipes, you roast the pumpkin and then puree it in a blender or food processor.

Making my own pumpkin puree allows me to do much more baking of fall pumpkin treats than I would if I had to buy a canned pumpkin each time. We just can't get enough pumpkin!

Peel the pumpkin and cut it into chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender. Let the chunks cool, then purée the flesh in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher or food mill.

This is the best method to make pumpkin puree as a side dish. In fact, roasting the pumpkin gives it a delicious flavor, and it keeps the puree smooth, thick, and not watery. To use this method, first cut the whole pumpkin and scrape down the side if dirty and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Roasting these pieces in the oven will make the flesh soft and sweet. Puree this roasted flesh in a food processor or blender and you have pumpkin essence which serves as a base for dozens of amazing fall recipes. The puree can be used to make pumpkin bread muffins pancakes and waffles.

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

2½ pound pie pumpkin = 1¾ cups puree. 3½ pound pie pumpkin = 2½ cups puree. 6 pound carving pumpkin = 2¾ cups puree. 5 pound round pumpkin = 3⅓ cups puree.

You can eat pumpkin every day if you enjoy it.

Why does this work? The vinegar kills fungus, making it hard for the pumpkin to rot. That's why vinegar-soaked pumpkins look so new; they're unblemished by the grossness that inevitably befalls their untreated peers.

How long does homemade pumpkin puree last? ›

Storage: Homemade pumpkin puree will keep in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week, or you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Try eating pumpkin raw: trim off the skin, slice the flesh thin like a tortilla chip using a mandolin, and have it with garlicky hummus! Use in cakes, custards, cookies, breads, muffins, homemade pasta, ravioli… ours never lasts that long… Make pumpkin pie.

The best type of pumpkin for cooking and baking

It may seem tempting, but I wouldn't recommend cooking with the big pumpkins you normally get at the pumpkin patch. They tend to be very stringy and not flavorful. Instead, I recommend using a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (pictured above).

While all pumpkins are edible, some are great as food, and some are better suited for other purposes. The jack-o'-lantern pumpkin is a great example.

Start with the right variety of pumpkins, sugar pumpkins. Large pumpkins that we traditionally think of as jack-o-lanterns aren't ideal for pie as they are very stringy and have a lot of seeds. There really isn't very much “meat” to the larger pumpkins. Sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins, are sweeter.

Is Pumpkin Puree the Same as Pure Pumpkin? Yes, canned pumpkin can be labeled as 100% pure pumpkin or just as pumpkin puree. They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time.