Pumpkin Puree

     Thanksgiving is coming up so fast. We are doing it at our house this year and I can't believe that it is almost here. I personally do not like  pumpkin pie, but it has to be part of a Thanksgiving feast. Right? What would it be without a pumpkin pie? Better? No, that's not the word. Incomplete is probably what most people would say. There will be a pumpkin pie at my feast. It will even contain my very own pumpkin puree.
This year we went to the pumpkin patch as you may remember. I picked out a pumpkin and then I never carved it. I hate to waste anything, so I decided to use it a different way. I made pumpkin puree. This is super easy. It takes a little bit of time, but really very little effort on your part. If you don't have a pumpkin left over a lot of super markets are trying to get rid of the pumpkins they have leftover. So, you can get them for cheap. Canned pumpkin puree can be kind of expensive when you think about the fact that it is a canned item, not even remotely fresh. If, like me, you don't like pumpkin pie or pumpkin flavored items this can make great baby food. I have a pretty good pumpkin cake recipe that I actually like that I will have to share some day.


 Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

 First cut your pumpkin in half.

Then scoop out all the stringies(technical term) and seeds. Reserve the seeds so you can make roasted pumpkin seeds.

 Then put 1 cup of water in the bottom of a roasting pan. Put pumpkin cut side down in a roasting pan. Then bake for 90 minutes.


When you take it out and turn it over it will look like this.

Scoop it out into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. This process will take a little longer than one might expect especially if your pumpkin was extra stringy.

 You can freeze your puree or use it immediately. I chose to measure mine out into 1/4 cup servings and freeze it in muffin tins.

 If you choose to freeze it in muffin tins just leave it overnight and then turn the tin over on a clean work space and press the bottoms. They should just pop out.

 Then I put them in bags and keep them in the freezer.

 Pretty easy, right? Now you can make your own pumpkin and impress your guests. You will have to tell them though, which may sound like bragging. I encourage you to own it. If you know me in real life you know that I never would, but I wish I could be more like that. So, when you put your pie on the table at Thanksgiving dinner exclaim "I made this pumpkin pie from scratch. I even made the pumpkin myself!" If you really want to show off you can grow your own pumpkins. I wish I were that ambitious. Now I will go tell myself how lame I am because I don't grow my own pumpkins.
Bon Appetit!