Best way to make pumpkin puree?

[Dobela]

Since there is that canned pumpkin shortage and our grocery stores only got 10 cases each last November and have had none since, I have decided to make my own puree and freeze it. I bought 4 sugar pumpkins today and plan on doing this regularly until I have lots frozen.

 

I just don't know how to make the puree... How do you do it? Can I use other pumpkins as well if I find them at good prices as well?

 

Thanks :D

[Heather in OK]

I quarter it, scoop out the seeds (to roast!), put it on a baking sheet, and cook at about 350-400 until it's soft. When it's done it will come away from the skin. I just put it in my food processor (you could use a blender too) with a little water and puree it. That's it. :)

[Delighted3]

Pioneer Woman has a tutorial on her website on how to do it.

HTH,

Joy

[LauraGB]

I quarter it, scoop out the seeds (to roast!), put it on a baking sheet, and cook at about 350-400 until it's soft. When it's done it will come away from the skin. I just put it in my food processor (you could use a blender too) with a little water and puree it. That's it. :)

 

:iagree: I just halve them, pour a little water in the middle, put some foil over them, bake them at 350 for about an hour, dump the water, scoop the pulp and whirl it in the food processor. Freeze it in 1 1/2c-2c amts for easy grabbing.

[lwilliams1922]

Since there is that canned pumpkin shortage and our grocery stores only got 10 cases each last November and have had none since, I have decided to make my own puree and freeze it. I bought 4 sugar pumpkins today and plan on doing this regularly until I have lots frozen.

 

I just don't know how to make the puree... How do you do it? Can I use other pumpkins as well if I find them at good prices as well?

 

Thanks :D

 

WOW, I didn't know there was a shortage. I know I had a hard time finding it in the stores but I never thought about shortage since I saw so many fresh pumpkins around.

 

I would love to try preserving pumpkin to make breads and pies.

I've never heard of sugar pumpkins. :confused:

[kmacnchs]

cut off top, scoop out, put top back on, bake 1-1.5 hrs (depending how large) 450 degrees - then it will puree easily. I just did 2 in the last couple of weeks :)

[MariannNOVA]

Cut off the top, scoop out the inside, cut into pieces.

 

Then I cook it in a pressure cooker (pressure cooker instructions will tell how much time etc), skin will peel right off when it is done and then use a food processor.

 

I think that I did do a sugar pumpkin in the oven a few years ago -- same drill - but in the oven for how ever much time, then peel the skin off.

[HollyDay]

ooh, ooh!! I just made puree this weekend!!! I bought 2 pie pumpkins and got 5 cups of puree. I'm going to the store tomorrow for more pumpkins!!

 

This is what I did:

 

cut off stem and cut pumpkin in half

 

scoop out insides (keep seeds for roasting)

 

rinse inside to help get strings out

 

place pumpkin half, cut side down on a plate, cover with a towel, microwave 7 minutes/lb.

 

After 7 min, poke with fork to check for softness, add time as necessary.

 

Let cool, skin will pull off and be easy to peel

 

I then ran mine through my Champion juicer with a "blank" attachment.

 

freeze in 1 or 2 cup amounts in ziplocks.

 

Have you heard anything else about getting canned pumpkin? Our local store said they only had a few small cans of organic pumpkin and no idea when any pumpkin would be shipped.

 

Like I said, I plan to buy 2 or 3 more at the store tomorrow and make more. I've craved pumpkin chocolate chip cookies since last spring!!!

[MusicMama]

Ok, all you ladies must have much better knives than I do. :) I couldn't get the top off, or halve the darn thing without taking my arm off with too. I bought a medium pumpkin from a local farm specifically for pies, stabbed it a few times with my wimpy knife and placed it in a baking pan with a little water. I baked it at 350 for 2-3 hrs until it could be stabbed with no resistance, always checking to make sure there was liquid in the pan. At that point, the rind comes right off, and you can cut it in half super easy. Remove rind and seeds, and toss it in the blender! I believe last time I checked, 1 3/4 cup pumpkin equaled on can. Hth!

[justasque]

Ladies, remember we are HOMESCHOOLERS! You're missing the best part!

 

Here's how I did it last year:

Get a couple of pumpkins. Give them to hubby and dd. Instruct them that they must make an enclosure for the pumpkin to protect it when dropped, so it won't break. Enlist friends to do the same. Gather friends and pumpkins, drop each from a great height. Once dropped, check to see if they are broken. If not, congratulate child (and dh); use pumpkin for decoration. If so, gather pieces.

 

NOW - rinse pieces, remove seeds. Put them into the crock pot until mushy and golden. Remove shell by scraping - it's easy now that the pumpkin is mushy. Puree in food processor.

 

THAT, ladies, is how a homeschooler makes pumpkin puree!

 

:D ;) :lol:

[Firestar Academy]

Ladies, remember we are HOMESCHOOLERS! You're missing the best part!

 

Here's how I did it last year:

Get a couple of pumpkins. Give them to hubby and dd. Instruct them that they must make an enclosure for the pumpkin to protect it when dropped, so it won't break. Enlist friends to do the same. Gather friends and pumpkins, drop each from a great height. Once dropped, check to see if they are broken. If not, congratulate child (and dh); use pumpkin for decoration. If so, gather pieces.

 

NOW - rinse pieces, remove seeds. Put them into the crock pot until mushy and golden. Remove shell by scraping - it's easy now that the pumpkin is mushy. Puree in food processor.

 

THAT, ladies, is how a homeschooler makes pumpkin puree!

 

:D ;) :lol:

 

 

:iagree::iagree::lol::lol::lol:

 

Even I can GET INTO this method!!!!

 

robin

[justasque]

Gather friends and pumpkins, drop each from a great height.

 

OK, just to clarify, that's each PUMPKIN which is to be dropped, don't drop the friends! :tongue_smilie:

[Paintedlady]

We grow pumpkins every year and make our own puree. I use most of the same methods as the previous posters but I put them in the microwave for about 15-20 minutes in a covered glass bowl with a little water in it.

 

Btw, ds (9) likes to take a small mallet and whack the stem off before I cut it open. He thinks that's the best part of all. :tongue_smilie:

[Dobela]

Thank you! I will give this a try. For the pp that asked, a sugar pumpkin, from what I understand, it just another name for a pie pumpkin. Pie Pumpkins are the small, heavy pumpkins that are out now as well. The pulp, according to my grandma, is not as stringy as the jack-o-lantern pumpkins.

 

I love the dropping idea. That could keep ds busy!

[mysticamethyst]

I was just wondering how I was going to get pumpkin this year. So you use a Sugar Pumpkin, are there other kinds or is that the only one suitable for pie? Are you jarring it like jelly and if so do you follow the normal canning guide? I have only jarred strawberry jelly a few times but this will be a first for pumpkin. Good Luck to those that are trying it and thanks to those that have given out great info.

 

I might try the dropping method though, good physics experiment.:001_smile:

[Dobela]

I was just wondering how I was going to get pumpkin this year. So you use a Sugar Pumpkin, are there other kinds or is that the only one suitable for pie? Are you jarring it like jelly and if so do you follow the normal canning guide? I have only jarred strawberry jelly a few times but this will be a first for pumpkin. Good Luck to those that are trying it and thanks to those that have given out great info.

 

I might try the dropping method though, good physics experiment.:001_smile:

I was wanting pumpkin last week and the stores didn't even have any 'real' pumpkins yet. But they did yesterday! I plan on freezing my puree - mostly because I have not canned anything yet and don't have the supplies.

[mrscopterdoc]

Ladies, remember we are HOMESCHOOLERS! You're missing the best part!

 

Here's how I did it last year:

Get a couple of pumpkins. Give them to hubby and dd. Instruct them that they must make an enclosure for the pumpkin to protect it when dropped, so it won't break. Enlist friends to do the same. Gather friends and pumpkins, drop each from a great height. Once dropped, check to see if they are broken. If not, congratulate child (and dh); use pumpkin for decoration. If so, gather pieces.

 

NOW - rinse pieces, remove seeds. Put them into the crock pot until mushy and golden. Remove shell by scraping - it's easy now that the pumpkin is mushy. Puree in food processor.

 

THAT, ladies, is how a homeschooler makes pumpkin puree!

 

:D ;) :lol:

:lol:

[TheCoffeeChick]

This place (pickyourown.org) has the best recipe to make pies with homemade pumpkin puree. Remember your puree is going to be a lot more juicy than you can buy in a can, so you need to adjust your recipes.

 

Pickyourown.org also has some other wonderful pumpkin recipes, like butter, bread, soup, roasted seeds ...

[justasque]

I was actually surprised at the wide variety of pumpkins that I ended up with from the pumpkin drop. (We did it with a group, and most folks did not want their broken pumpkins, so a friend and I took most of the pieces and I had a huge pumpkin-stuff-making extravaganza.) Some had hard shells, some were softer. Some stayed hard after cooking, some got soft. Some were stringier, some were sweeter. They were all smallish pumpkins, mostly of the round "pie" shape, but even then the variety was pretty amazing - much wider than most produce you normally buy. So yes, I'd say get a "pie" pumpkin, but don't assume they'll all be the same - most folks aren't using them for pie, so they're not sold or grown based on their eating/cooking qualities.

 

Again, I suggest using the crock pot for cooking the pumpkin. Easy to keep an eye on and doesn't heat up the kitchen. Just wash and de-seed the pieces, non-stick-spray the dish, and put in as many pieces as will fit, shell and all. Cook on low until you think it's done - it you wait until it turns a more golden color it's tastier than if you just wait until it's mushy.

 

I did find several recipes on the internet that were great for pies, especially one that also included a maple flavored whipped cream. We had a *very* tasty Thanksgiving last year!

[Paintedlady]

Just a quick note on canning pumpkin. It is not recommended that you can pumpkin, even with a pressure cooker, I think b/c it's too low acid to be safely canned. It is recommended instead to puree and freeze. Apparently the chance of botulism is too high otherwise.

[Spy Car]

If you have a hand -cranked food mill using it will give a superior texture to the roasted pumpkin purée vs a food processor.

 

Bill

[mysticamethyst]

So jarring is out, good to know thanks PaintedLady, Tupperware it is.

 

BramFam, thank you for the info. on it being more watery I would have thought I ruined it. Is there a way to make it less watery or is that just the way it is?

 

Bill, I now have a reason to visit Williams and Sonoma tomorrow.

 

I want to be able to make my pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake without worry this year, I really love pumpkin.

[justasque]

I found some varieties were way more watery than others.

 

I also found that some/most could actually be mashed if you want a non-puree'd texture, assuming you cooked it long enough.

 

You can also make up the pie innards and freeze that in one-pie portions, if pie is your ultimate goal.

 

Pie crust is incredibly easy to make in a food processor - use frozen butter cut into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks. It's so easy to make batch after batch after batch and put them in the freezer to use during the holidays. If you put it in a ball then flatten it before freezing, it will be ready to roll out easily when defrosted.

[TheCoffeeChick]

So jarring is out, good to know thanks PaintedLady, Tupperware it is.

 

BramFam, thank you for the info. on it being more watery I would have thought I ruined it. Is there a way to make it less watery or is that just the way it is?

 

Bill, I now have a reason to visit Williams and Sonoma tomorrow.

 

I want to be able to make my pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake without worry this year, I really love pumpkin.

 

I just use the recipes I linked and the pie was wonderful - I don't normally like pumpkin pie. There is a bread recipe there too - but if you'd like to use your own recipe you can look at the site and kind of adjust your liquid to solid ratio to match hers. The first time I did pumpkin pie with homemade puree it never set - it tasted like pumpkin pie, but it stayed runny. That's how I came across pickyourown.org's recipes.

 

Oh and to answer your question - I couldn't figure out a way to make it less watery.

[Spy Car]

I also found that some/most could actually be mashed if you want a non-puree'd texture, assuming you cooked it long enough.

 

 

That is where a food mill is such a good choice. It is not as irregular as mashed and it is not as processed (and potentially gluey) as a pureeing in a food processor.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Oh and to answer your question - I couldn't figure out a way to make it less watery.

 

You can drain it in a fine screened mesh colander. Lacking one of these one can use cheese cloth or clean muslin in a regular colander. Set over a sink or bowl and let drain.

 

Bill

Edited September 15, 2010 by Spy Car
clean, not clan

[Amy in NH]

We grow pie pumpkins and had a bumper crop last year. I washed the outsides of the pumpkins and roasted them on a large baking sheet in the oven for an hour, or until soft. I could fit 6 pumpkins in my oven at one time. I let them cool for a while (while the next batch was cooking), then halved and cleaned out the seeds. I slipped off the rind and placed the pulp in the food processor. I added water as the processor was running, only enough as was needed to actually puree it; it was still thick. I spooned it out into regular muffin tins and placed them in the freezer until frozen. I dipped each muffin tray into a 9x13 pan of cool water until the pumpkin-puree muffins popped out easily, and then placed them into a ziploc bag for freezer storage. Each puree-muffin is 1/2 cup, easy to pull out and use in any recipe.

[TheCoffeeChick]

You can drain it in a fine screened mesh colander. Lacking one of these one can use cheese cloth or clan muslin in a regular colander. Set over a sink or bowl and let drain.

 

Bill

 

 

Where's the slap the forhead, duh, why didn't I think of that smiley? Thanks, Bill - your wisdom goes even beyond homeschooling! ;)

[stripe]

That is where a food mill is such a good choice. It is not as irregular as mashed and it is not as processed (and potentially gluey) as a pureeing in a food processor.

 

Bill

But which food mill? I really wanted one but got a headache trying to figure out which one. And I don't have $1000 to spend.

[LauraGB]

I spooned it out into regular muffin tins and placed them in the freezer until frozen. I dipped each muffin tray into a 9x13 pan of cool water until the pumpkin-puree muffins popped out easily, and then placed them into a ziploc bag for freezer storage. Each puree-muffin is 1/2 cup, easy to pull out and use in any recipe.

That's brilliant!

[Spy Car]

But which food mill? I really wanted one but got a headache trying to figure out which one. And I don't have $1000 to spend.

 

Mine is an ancient French one that is still going strong after 30 years so I'm not 100% sure. Moulinex, who used to make great metal ones, seems to have mostly plastic versions now at $20. Oxo (whose other products have never disappointed) has mostly metal versions for $50. Cuisipro ($100) seems to dominate the high-end/yuppie market, but Surfas (my favorite restaurant supply here in LA) also has an all metal industrial/professional food mill for $100 that I'd look at if mine needed replacing (which it doesn't :D)

 

Bill

Edited September 15, 2010 by Spy Car

[Spy Car]

Bill, I now have a reason to visit Williams and Sonoma tomorrow.

 

 

Happy shopping :D

 

The food mills are great for all sort of pureeing and straining (de-seeding). Food processors just don't give the same elegant textures. And multiple plates with different sized openings give one great control over the results, especially given a little experience.

 

Don't forget to try "mashed potatoes" if you don't have a potato-ricer (or even if you do to see the difference). Bon appetit.

 

Bill