Pumpkin Puree

Hello Sunshine! It's that time of year when pumpkin is king! Fall and pumpkins are synonymous. Everyone talking about there PSL and taking selfies time of year. Are you one of those individuals? Taking over my beloved instagram with their pumpkin drinks with a side of coffee.

Putting drinks aside, it's time to start baking pies for Thanksgiving, breads and waffles. All with pumpkin! I must confess, I'm not a fan of anything pumpkin. Please don't send me hate mail. I just can't like it but my family loves it.

Being on my health kick, I decided to forego the canned stuff for natural and preservative free. I always shied away from making my own but let me tell you it's so easy. And the best part there is only one ingredient, pumpkin!

How to make your own homemade pumpkin puree:

You will need two sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. They are smaller than the carving pumpkins we use for jack-o-lantern. They are sweeter, less stringy, and full of flavor than their bigger counterpart.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse pumpkins and dry well. With a sharp knife cut off stem and then cut in half, from top to bottom.

Remove seeds and pulp with a spoon or ice cream scoop. Set seeds aside for roasting later!

Place halves on baking sheet, flesh side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork or pairing knife can easily be inserted and removed.

Allow pumpkin to cool for an hour. Remove skin. Puree batches of your roasted pumpkin in a food processor or until smooth.

Store in ziplock bags in the freezer in one cup increments or use in your favorite recipe. Enjoy!
     - store in fridge for up to a week
     - store in freezer for up to 3 months

Next week I will be using my puree for my daughters favorite Orange Pie. Give this simple recipe a try and make up some of these delicious waffles this weekend. Your family will thank you! See ya soon!

Pin for later: