Homemade pumpkin puree. Learn how to make perfect puréed pumpkin to whip up your favorite pumpkin treats. Here’s everything you need to know in order to create the best pumpkin base brimming with deliciousness.
Pumpkin is the buzzword this time of the year. In fact, fall/autumn is incomplete without all kinds of pumpkin treats. And most of the pumpkin recipes need one key ingredient to create the best dishes.
Pumpkin purée. Simply put, pumpkins turned into a purée ready to make all pumpkin treats extra pumpkin flavored. The pure magic of all pumpkin recipes start here. Deliciously good!
How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée
All pumpkin recipes that call for pumpkin purée need sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. (See ‘notes’ section for details) These pumpkins are sweeter than the regular butternut pumpkins used for soups and other savory dishes.
Choose the right size depending on the amount of the purée you will need for the recipe. However, leftover purée can be stored easily for later use.
Cut the pumpkin into halves or quarters depending on the size. Use a spoon to gently scoop out all the seeds. You can either use these seeds to make pepitas or throw them away. Alongside seeds, all the stringy bits also need to be removed.
Cook the pumpkins. At this stage, you can cook them anyway you like - bake or steam. But I highly recommend baking them for extra flavor. To roast, place the pumpkin slices on a baking tray. Make sure the flesh part is facing down. This will ensure the pumpkins are cooked through perfectly leaving it soft and tender. Unarguably, it gives you the right texture for the perfect homemade pumpkin purée.
The final step is pureeing the cooked pumpkins. Let the pumpkins cool down a bit before you peel off the skin. Purée the pumpkins until there are no lumps.
Store the puréed pumpkins in the refrigerator or freezer. You can use this fresh pumpkin purée in your recipes. Or transfer it to ziplock bags and freeze for later use.
Ready to whip up your favorite pumpkin treats?
More Pumpkin Recipes:
Homemade Pumpkin Puree | Video
Ingredients
- 1 kg pumpkin (such as sugar, pie or Kent) (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C / 400F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin into half from the tip of the stem to the base.
- Scoop out seeds and stringy bits.
- Place cut side down on the baking tray.
- Roast for 45-50 minutes or until soft and the flesh easily comes away from the skin.
- Remove from oven and let it cool completely.
- Peel off the skin.
- Transfer to a food processor. Process to a smooth paste.
- Use this purée in all recipes requiring pumpkin purée.
- Store purée in the refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for 1 month.
Video
Notes
- In the US, sugar pumpkins also called pie pumpkins are used in sweet pumpkin treats. However, in Australia, Kent or Jap pumpkin is the sweetest variety available. So, to make this pumpkin purée I have used small Kent pumpkin.
- This purée is an excellent substitute for canned pumpkin purée
Nutrition
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