Canned pumpkin is so expensive lately, I tell ya. I have decided that I’ll be foregoing any further purchases of this canned treat in favor of learning the art of processing it myself. Since it is not widely believed to be safe to can, I decided to freeze mine. Here’s what I did.
Cut around the top of the pumpkin, removing the stem. Cut pumpkin in half.
Scoop all seeds and stringy stuff out of the pumpkin. Cut pumpkin halves in pieces. Scrape pieces until clean (if necessary).
Put pumpkin pieces on cookie sheets (tall sides work best). Fill the bottom of cookie sheets with about a half-inch of water. Bake at 350 until fork-tender (mine took FOR.E.VER. I think I need to find a new method for next time). I should tell you now to set aside your pumpkin seed gunk if you would like to roast your seeds later.
Once pumpkin is cooked, cut off the rind and dice in 1-inch (or so) cubes. Fill your blender about halfway and add water so that it is even with the top of the pumpkin pile. Blend and freeze in 2-cup portions.
I usually use my pumpkin for a soup base, but this year I'd like to try my hand at using it for pumpkin pie. When I do, I will probably strain all the liquid from it, then measure out however many ounces are called for in the recipe.
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How do you process your pumpkin? What do you use it for?
I don’t add water to my pumpkin puree. I put the soft chunks into a large bowl use my electric hand mixer and blend it until smooth. You can, of course, do it by hand with a potato masher but its a pain in the backside to do it that way LOL. I find that the pumpkin is usually moist enough not to need to add water this way. When I use my blender I have no choice but to use extra liquid or it won’t blend. Oh how I would love a food processor for this kind of thing! Homemade pumpkin is so much better than the canned store bought stuff and we use it in all kinds of things, pumpkin breads/waffles, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin granola, pumpkin sauce, pumpkin soup, pumpkin latte, pumpkin hot cocoa, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin icecream, etc. We really use it alot.
Yeah, I wish I hadn’t had to add the water. Do you think it will still turn out ok if I strain it, Sheree?
It might. I haven’t ever tried straining it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Or you can simmer it on the stove top til t reduces. You can always make pumpkin granola, or pumpkin syrup with it if it doesn’t strain well.
We’ve been making pumpkin pie for years with home processed pumpkin and they turn out just beautiful and taste oh-so-good. You can also make pumpkin rollups (like fruit rollups) in your dehydrator with it if it doesn’t strain out like you want it to.
Thanks Sheree. I can’t wait to try a pie with fresh pumpkin.
I am so lazy! I whack it in half, scoop out the guts, and put the halves face-down on a cookie sheet with arim, then bake. When they are soft, you just flip them over to cool, then scoop out the cooked flesh. Me, I freeze it like that, and then when I get ready to use it, I mmeasure the amount I need and put it in the blender with the rest of the wet ingredients. Puree’, add to dry ingredients,and you’re set! I hope this makes some sense – still cant see the words I’m ttyping.
Not lazy! I think your way sounds like it might work a bit better, being that having the pumpkin halves face down would trap the heat inside better. Thanks for sharing, Laura, I’m going to try your way next!
Ive only baked two pumpkins…last month…i made them both the same, except the first one I did not puree, and the second one I did. I cut and cleaned the pumpkins and baked them cut side down, when they were cool, I scraped them out. The first one I made into a pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. Came out really good. The best pumpkin bread I ever had, so moist. I didnt add any extra water.
The second time, I added a little bit of water, because it wouldn’t puree without it. I also made it into pumpkin pie, and the pie did not some out as well. I felt the pie was really dry(go figure since i added some water), but maybe I didnt have enough of something.
I was going to make pumpkin butter and pumpkin cinn rolls(which are baking as I type, but I had to use canned pumpkin).
Next year I will be buying more and freezing them..just not sure whats the best after they are baked….
LEt me know how yours turn out.
Carey, I’ve heard that pies don’t come out all that great from fresh pumpkin, but I’d like to try it. Perhaps I ought to leave the water in? I dunno. Thanks for sharing your experience tho–I’m new at using pumpkin and can use all the advice I can get!
We grow our own – sugar pie is a good variety. I don’t bake one until I need it, because they’d take up too much freezer space – I just freeze the excess so I dn’t hav eto make a lot of stuff at once. If you grow pumpkins (or maybe even if you buy them), wipe them down with water that has a little b leach in it and it will kill any surface bacteria or mildew, and they keep a long time. I usually have to ‘do something!’ with them in April, but before that they keep. I store them in the basement.
Thanks Laura–I didn’t know that! I’d love to buy a few and keep them over winter, until I can grow my own, that is. I think our schoolroom would work out quite well for storing them.
Fantastic photo recipe. I have been so disappointed with my pumpkins the past several years. I haven’t given up, but I will be delighted when I finally do get a good harvest.
Leigh, I have never grown any pumpkins or squash, save zucchini. Well, I’m lying—I’ve got some uchiki kuri and some golden nugget squash growing now, but they aren’t doing great. I’ll be lucky if I get a few small ones.
I always think about “processing pumpkin” when I buy the cans at the grocery store. I was always under the impression it needed to be canned and after I took microbiology, I decided I would never can ANYTHING! Great tutorial!
LOL! Canning isn’t for everyone, but it does get easier the more you do it.
Glad you like the tute! Be sure to read the comments too, the ladies have great ideas on alternate ways to bake it.
I don’t ad water to my pumpkin either, I just mash and freeze. If straining doesn’t work, try putting it in a crock pot with the lid ajar and cook it down a bit. It works for apple sauce when making apple butter, no reason it won’t work for pumpkin.
If you are going to make pie, I would suggest you also get a butternut squash to add to it. It makes for a much better pie.
Happy baking
Hey, thanks for the tips, Serena! And thanks for visiting!