Pumpkin Puree

I enjoy having pumpkin puree in the freezer. It is useful to add to all kinds of baked goods throughout the winter. Once you puree a pumpkin it must be frozen. Pureed foods cannot be canned for safety reasons. The easiest way to get pumpkin puree to to make it yourself. Buy a large pumpkin and then bake it.

Before placing in the oven it is vey important you cut a few slits in the pumpkin. The steam needs to escape during cooking. I usually bake it at 350 degrees until it is tender when poked with a fork. It will take at least an hour.

After removing it from the oven wait just a little bit before you cut it in half. I removed all the seeds and roasted them later. Peel off the outer shell and you are left with chunks of pumpkin. Place them into a blender or food processer and pulse until they are pureed.

The above pumpkin made 3 cups of pumpkin puree, more than enough for a pumpkin pie. If you are using the puree for a pie just treat it as any pumpkin filling (you will need to add spices).

If you have a dog they might enjoy pumpkin mixed into their food. I used to freeze it in small drops and I had a dog that absolutely loved it. It is very good for dogs and aids in digestion.