Repost: How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Thanksgiving is late this year, and, for the first time in a few years, we won’t be doing a Turkey Trot. I really like the tradition of getting out and exercising before the celebrations begin, but alas, the trotting will have to wait until next year when I’m back to healthy.

Regardless of trotting or not, I still intend to have pie!

One of my favorite Thanksgiving foods is pumpkin pie, and truly, there is nothing better than pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin. Well, maybe, fresh pumpkin pie topped with homemade coconut whipped cream…

While I am usually very careful about my diet and sugar intake, I do live it up for Thanksgiving and have “real” pumpkin pie, and, believe it or not, just use the tried-and-true Libby’s recipe for this.

The one thing I do differently is use fresh pumpkin puree for the filling, so I thought it was worth re-posting these instructions I wrote up a few years ago for how to make fresh pumpkin puree. It’s easy and fun, and, fresh pumpkin puree is definitely better than from a can. This recipe would also be good in a pumpkin pie smoothie.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Obtain a least two sugar pie pumpkins. These are the cute little pumpkins, not the big pumpkins you buy to make jack-o-lanterns. I usually buy them at Trader Joe’s, but you can find them at most grocery stores right now
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Cut the pumpkins in half down the middle, scooping out all the seeds and stringy insides. Get the pumpkins nice and clean – no gunk left inside. Keep the seeds to roast – they’re full of protein and lots of other nutrients, like manganese, magnesium, and even iron.

Place the halved pumpkins face down on a cookie sheet with edges or in a roasting pan and roast 45 minutes – 1 hour. The time required will depend on the size of your pumpkins and your oven. You want the pumpkins to be soft and mushy – you should be able to pierce the skin easily with a fork
Let cool, and scoop out the insides, placing into your Ninja Blender jar as you go – if you have a 72 ounce jar, use this, if not go with the largest jar available with your model; Don’t put in any burned bits – only pretty orange pumpkin. The skin should basically just fall off, so you could also “peel” them. You will have to do this in batches
Puree the pumpkin on “2” (or hold the lid down on the Pulse) until it’s smooth. You may may have to add a little water to get everything all blended together nicely – don’t worry, because the next step is straining!
Pour the puree into a sieve or a colander lined with paper towels, and let drain for at least an hour or up to a day. You will be surprised how much liquid will drain out. You can put the puree mix into the fridge to chill out and drain.

Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week, or, freeze for later use. If you do freeze, be sure to leave an air gap at the top of your container to allow for expansion – don’t stuff them full like I did here!