Fresh Pumpkin Puree!

Ever made pumpkin pie using a canned filling? Maybe you thought you would go from "scratch" and use canned pumpkin puree and then add your own mix of spices...


If you find pumpkin pie, or pumpkin anything, not that enjoyable then maybe it's time for a fresher main ingredient! This past weekend I cut a pumpkin in half, scraped out the stringy bits and seeds, and roasted the whole thing (skin side up) in my oven for 45 minutes at 350 F. With my kitchen smelling wonderful I started to scrap out the fleshy pumpkin parts until I realized it might be easier to just cut off the skin and chop up what was left. All of this (in many, many batches) went into a food processor until well pureed. If you didnt do a good job getting the stringy bits out you might want to put it through a fine sieve. All this is pretty simple stuff but Ill warn you that its time consuming and obviously can get a little messy... aound the holidays that is half the fun! My pumpkin was pretty huge and filled 4 quart freezer bags for about 20 cups of puree. Thankfully the puree is supposed to last a few days in the fridge and a few months in the freezer... I dont know what I would do with 20 cups!


Personally, I love the squash family. Summer squash, zucchini, butternut, acorn - you name it I probably like it. I have never really found pumpkin, however, anything to get excited about. After making my own puree I took a spoon and tried a little bit.. It had the pumpkin flavor but with that roasted squash family heartiness that I love in all squash. I figured if this is what it is supposed to taste like then there are a few recipes I should try..


I'll start off with pumpkin bread and a soup... then hopefully later Ill get to pumpkin ice cream!