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Homemade Pumpkin Puree

When choosing your pumpkin, look for a small brightly colored pumpkin with little green or blemishes.  Be sure to choose a variety intended for cooking such as sugar pumpkins for the best flavor and texture.  A 5-pound pumpkin should give you about 2 cups of puree.
Pumpkin can be either baked or boiled but baking does produce the most flavor and the best puree for all of your recipes, sweet or savory!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Sugar pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil if baking

Method
 

To bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash pumpkin and cut in half. Remove seeds and pith.
  3. Rub pumpkin with olive oil inside and out.  Sprinkled with salt. 
  4. Place on a baking tray, cut side down. Bake 35-40 minutes or until tender when pierced.
  5. Allow to cool and remove skin with a knife. Pumpkin can be cubed or pureed.
To boil
  1. Wash pumpkin and cut in half.
  2. Remove seeds and pith
  3. Peel and cut into chunks.
  4. Place in a large pot and fill with water.
  5. Boil until pumpkin is soft (about 20 minutes).
  6. Drain very well

Notes

If using in savory recipes, add pepper to the pumpkin before baking.  If using in sweet recipes, add a pinch of cinnamon.
 
Homemade pumpkin puree can be watery (especially if boiled). It should be strained using cheesecloth or coffee filters in a colander before use.