Homemade pumpkin puree takes an afternoon, but it is mostly waiting while the oven works. The method is simple: cook the pumpkin until soft, scoop and blend the flesh, then cool and freeze it in portions. The one rule to remember is about storage, because pumpkin puree is not safe to can at home. Here is how to do each step, with guidance from university extension and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Start with the right pumpkin
A pie pumpkin, sometimes sold as a sugar pumpkin, gives a smoother and sweeter puree than a big carving pumpkin. Our guide to pumpkin types explained covers the difference. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says to select a full colored, mature pumpkin with fine texture. Purdue University Extension suggests looking for pumpkins that are deep orange and heavy for their size, and avoiding any that are soft, cut, or bruised.
Roast it
Roasting is the most common method. NC Cooperative Extension in Lenoir County suggests heating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cutting the pumpkin in half, scraping out the seeds and pulp, and roasting the halves face down on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes, until fork tender. Purdue University Extension also uses 350 degrees for pieces placed face down, but gives a longer range of 1 to 2 hours. Bigger or thicker pumpkins take longer, so test with a fork rather than going by the clock. Save the seeds for roasting.
Or steam or boil it
You do not have to use the oven. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says to wash the pumpkin, cut it into cooking size sections, remove the seeds, and cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, in a pressure cooker, or in an oven. Penn State Extension notes that if you boil it, use just enough water to prevent sticking, which keeps the puree from getting too wet.
Puree and cool it quickly
Once the pumpkin is soft, scoop the flesh away from the rind and mash it, as the National Center for Home Food Preservation describes. For a smoother texture, NC Cooperative Extension in Lenoir County suggests running it through a food processor until smooth and adding a little water only if it looks dry. Then cool it quickly. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says to set the pan of pumpkin in cold water and stir now and then.
Freeze in portions
The National Center for Home Food Preservation says to package the puree leaving half an inch of headspace, then seal and freeze. Penn State Extension suggests pressing the air out of freezer bags and freezing them flat on cookie sheets so they stack neatly, and it recommends adding no more than 2 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer space per day so everything freezes quickly. Iowa State University Extension suggests freezing measured portions in a lightly greased muffin tin and then bagging them.
Iowa State University Extension says to use homemade puree from the refrigerator within 3 to 5 days, and to use frozen puree within 3 months for best quality. After thawing in the refrigerator, use it within 3 to 4 days, and drain off any liquid that pools.
Do not home can pumpkin puree
This is the important part. On its page for canning cubed pumpkin, adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation states plainly: do not mash or puree. Penn State Extension explains that there are no research tested canning recipes for pureed pumpkin that show heat reaches the center of the jar well enough, so the risk of botulism is not ruled out. University of Georgia Extension adds that pumpkin is a low acid vegetable and that there are no tested safe home canning methods for mashed or pureed pumpkin or pumpkin butter. Penn State Extension says the only safe home canning option is pressure canning pumpkin in cubes. For puree, the freezer is the way to go.
Questions about your pumpkins?
If you have a pumpkin question we did not cover here, we would be glad to help. Call or text us at (513) 409-0005, or send a message through our contact page. We are a family-run business right here in the Springboro, Dayton and Cincinnati area, and we are always happy to talk pumpkins.