Homemade pumpkin purée is one of the easiest things to make in the fall. With minimal effort, you can stock your freezer with plenty of wholesome, nutritious purée that will last you all year! Perfect for muffins, pie, cookies, smoothies, and the list goes on!

Canned pumpkin from the store is actually a very healthy option but if you have a little time to devote to making your own, you will see it is simple and costs mere pennies for loads of yummy goodness.
This post may containsaffiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of the products I have recommended, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

There are two different ways to cook your pumpkin to make the purée. Roasting in your oven or slow cooking in a crockpot/Nesco/instant pot. I have always made mine in the oven but this year I tried my hand at the slow, Nesco version as well. I have to admit, I much prefer the roasted method. Roasting is actually quite a fast process and the pumpkin “meat” seemed to retain its orange color compared to the slow cooked pumpkins which visibly paled during the cooking process. I also like the flavor of the roasted pumpkin vs the slow cooked.

If you are able to, I’d personally recommend roasting pumpkin for purée but if you don’t have the time, the slow cooker option is a great alternative! I will explain the (easy) steps to both below.

It is important to note that puréed pumpkin is NOT safe to can at home.

What kind of pumpkin can I use to make purée

You can use any kind of pumpkin to make pumpkin purée, however pie pumpkins are preferred if you can get your hands on some. They have more “flesh”, are not as watery, and richer flavor but if you only have a carving-type pumpkin available to you, they work just fine too! (I just would not recommend a pumpkin that has already been carved 😉 )

Pro Tip for making the purée just like canned pumpkin:

The secret: a [easyazon_link identifier=”B0113UZJE2″ locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]kitchen scale[/easyazon_link]! I love my [easyazon_link identifier=”B0113UZJE2″ locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]food scale[/easyazon_link] and use it all the time. For this, I weigh [easyazon_link identifier=”B001BADTKQ” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]pint sized vacuum seal[/easyazon_link] bags to 15 oz- exactly how much pumpkin is in a can from the store. That way, when a recipe calls for a “can of pumpkin” all I have to do is thaw out one package. No leftover pumpkin sitting in my fridge, certain to be forgotten. Taking the couple extra minutes to do this step is definitely worth it in my opinion.

If you do no have a [easyazon_link identifier=”B0113UZJE2″ locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]kitchen scale[/easyazon_link] (put it on your Christmas list and thank me later!), you can also measure the pumpkin to just shy of 2 cups and you will be close to the amount in a can of pumpkin.

Another great kitchen gadget that I use all the time is my [easyazon_link identifier=”B00DI342IW” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]vacuum sealer[/easyazon_link]. [easyazon_link identifier=”B00DI342IW” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]This[/easyazon_link] is the one that I have and recommend. Honestly, someday I hope to be able to get a heavier duty one but for now, this has been my favorite Food Saver brand one (and I’ve tried a few of them!). I also buy all of my vacuum bags off of Amazon ([easyazon_link identifier=”B001BADTKQ” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]here is a link[/easyazon_link]). They are much cheaper than the Food Saver brand ones and work just as well.

I also freeze some of my pumpkin in[easyazon_link identifier=”B00P25U3PK” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]ice cube trays[/easyazon_link] for smoothies. I love the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00P25U3PK” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]silicone trays[/easyazon_link] because anything I freeze in them pops right out with no issue (or breaking)- I especially loved them for making baby food! After the pumpkin is frozen, I pop them out into a labeled [easyazon_link identifier=”B00BZQM146″ locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]gallon sized freezer bag[/easyazon_link] and can easily pull one or two out to add to a smoothie.

Time to get cooking our pumpkin!

Pumpkin purée- Roasted Method

• Pumpkin (pie variety preferred)
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00282JL7G” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]Sheet pan[/easyazon_link] with at least 1/2″ sides all the way around

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wash pumpkin, cut in half and scoop out seeds.

Discard “guts” (trash, feed to animals, or make roasted pumpkin seeds).

Place pumpkin skin side up on baking pan. If the pumpkin is too big, you can cut it in half again but try and keep the skin side up as much as possible.Roast for 35-45 minutes or until very soft. If the skin starts to brown/blacken, that is okay and will not affect your final product. Remove from oven and allow to cool.Once cooled, scoop the pumpkin from the shell. Use blender/food processor/immersion blender to purée to a smooth consistency. Package and freeze in Ziploc or vacuum seal bags.  (see tip above)

Pumpkin purée- Slow Cooker method

• Pumpkin (pie variety preferred)
• Roaster ([easyazon_link identifier=”B003I4F7D0″ locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]Nesco[/easyazon_link]) or [easyazon_link identifier=”B00EZI26GO” locale=”US” tag=”modern0fb-20 “]slow cooker[/easyazon_link]

Wash pumpkin, cut in half and scoop out seeds. Discard “guts” (trash, feed to animals, or make roasted pumpkin seeds). Use as many pumpkins as will fit in your cooker. You may want to cut the pumpkins into more pieces to fit better. I recommend trying to have the pumpkins skin side up as much as possible.Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours or until pumpkin is soft. Turn off cooker and allow to cool.

Once cooled, scoop the pumpkin from the shell. Use blender/food processor/immersion blender to purée to a smooth consistency. Package and freeze in Ziploc or vacuum seal bags.  (see tip above)

I hope I have shown you how easy it is to make your own healthy, delicious pumpkin purée!

Thank you for stopping by the homestead,

Melissa

Pumpkins as Livestock Food