Pumpkin Purée Food

PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut the pumpkin in half, stem to base. Remove seeds and pulp. Cover each half with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven, foil side up, 1 hour, or until tender.
• Scrape pumpkin meat from shell halves and puree in a blender. Strain to remove any remaining stringy pieces. Store in the freezer in freezer safe bags.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Select a couple of small size pumpkins. Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don't have to be too thorough with this.
• Place all the seeds into a bowl (you can roast them later and make pepitas). Repeat until all the pumpkin pieces are largely free of seeds and pulp.
• Place pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet (face up or face down; I've done both) and roast in a 350° oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. They should be nice and light golden brown when done.
• Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces until you have a big pile of the stuff. If you have a food processor, throw in a few chunks at a time. A blender will work, too, if you add a little water. Or you can simply mash it up with a potato masher, or move it through a potato ricer, or process it through a food mill.
• Pulse the pumpkin until smooth. If it looks too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water during the pulsing to give it the needed moisture. (Note, if the puree is overly watery, you should strain it on cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid.)
• Dump the pureed goodness into a bowl, and continue pureeing until all the pumpkin is done.
• You can either use this immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you'd like, store it in the freezer for later use.
• To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into each plastic storage bag. Seal the bag with just a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Store them in the freezer until you need them.

PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice a small piece of skin off the one side of the pumpkin so when laid on its side, the pumpkin will lay flat without rolling. Remove the stem and split the pumpkin in half from top to bottom, using a large cleaver and a mallet. Scoop out the seeds and fiber with a large metal spoon or ice cream scoop. Cut the fibers with kitchen shears if necessary. Reserve seeds for another use.
• Sprinkle the flesh with kosher salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Roast until a paring knife can be easily inserted and removed from the pumpkin, 30 to 45 minutes. Test in several places to ensure doneness.
• Remove the half sheet pan to a cooling rack and cool the pumpkin for 1 hour. Using a large spoon, remove the roasted flesh of the pumpkin from the skin to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the flesh is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

PUMPKIN PURéE

Steps:

• To steam the pumpkin, peel and seed it, then cut into evenly sized cubes. Put the cubes in a steamer or colander set over a pan of simmering water and cook for 10 mins. Test with the point of a knife and cook for a further 5 mins if not cooked through. Mash and leave to cool. Alternatively, to microwave the pumpkin, cut it in half (no need to peel it or cut out the seeds) and sit cut-side up in the microwave. Cook for 20 mins, then check the flesh is soft by poking it with a fork. Keep cooking if you'd like it softer. Scoop the flesh into a bowl, then mash and leave to cool.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE- STEAMED OR BOILED

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash the outside of the pumpkin.
• Remove the stem and fibrous material around the stem and the bottom of the pumpkin.
• Cube the pumpkin into large pieces.
• Place in a large pot with just enough water to steam the pumpkin.
• Boil for about 30 minutes or until both the pumpkin and the pumpkin skin are tender.
• Blend the steamed pumpkin, with the skin, in a blender set on puree until smooth.
• You can freeze for months or store in a refrigerator a couple of days prior to use in any recipe calling for pumpkin puree.
• Servings and yield depend on the size of the pumpkin and what recipes the puree is used inches.

FRESH PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line one baking sheet with foil and set aside.
• Line another baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• Rinse dirt off the outside of the pumpkins and pat dry with a clean towel.
• Cut pumpkins in half, vertically, with a large knife.
• Scoop out seeds and pulp from each pumpkin half with a large spoon, separating the seeds and the pulp.
• Discard pulp and save the seeds for another use if desired.
• If saving the seeds, wash them thoroughly and spread them onto the baking sheet lined with paper towels and allow to dry. ( I bake them later for a snack).
• Place pumpkin halves cut side down onto the foil lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until flesh is tender.
• Cool the pumpkin halves until they are cool enough to handle.
• Scoop out pumpkin flesh and place it in a food processor.
• Puree flesh until smooth.
• Line a strainer with either cheesecloth or coffee filters.
• Pour puree into the strainer.
• Place strainer on top of a bowl large enough to catch the juices and place both in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
• Discard the juices in the bowl and use the puree for pies, biscuits, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, dog treats and more!