Make homemade autumn pumpkin puree from scratch with these guideline for choosing and fix the complete pumpkin — then putting it to use .

Better Homes & Gardens

Yep , it ’s potential to make pumpkin Proto-Indo European and other pumpkin dainty without opening a can . Our Test Kitchen pro love cooking sweet autumn pumpkin for fresh pumpkin vine puree that showcases the born bouquet of the fruit . Once you learn how to fake fresh pumpkin ( promise , it ’s loose ! ) , you could put local produce to delicious purpose in honeyed and savoury formula . Whileroastingis the best method acting to amplify the flavor and caramelise the sugars in pumpkin , you could hit fast - forward on cooking fresh pumpkin by doing so in the microwave oven . We ’ll explain how to cook fresh pumpkin both ways .

Pumpkin puree

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How Many Cups in a Can of Pumpkin, Really?

Fifteen oz. of canned pumpkin vine is just shy of 2 cups ( 16 ounces would be 2 cups ) . By comparison , a 3 - pound pie pumpkin vine will likely give you enough puree for arecipe that calls for a can of autumn pumpkin .

After fix and draining a Cucurbita pepo , this is about what to expect from a typical cooking pumpkin transformed into wise pumpkin puree :

How to Select the Best Pumpkin for Fresh Pumpkin Puree

little , bright , and vibrant - colored pumpkins that are deep orange with few fleeceable spots or blemishes are best for prepare impertinent pumpkin . corrupt one from a local pumpkin piece orfarmers marketplace , or discoverhow to arise your own ! Our Test Kitchen recommends pie pumpkins for their sweetness over carving pumpkins , but if you’recarving pumpkinsand do n’t require to waste anything , they will function , too . Whichever type of pumpkin you plan to buy , look for those that are heavy for their sizing and store them in a cool place up to a month .

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Now that you ’ve bugger off your pumpkin picked out , it ’s time to make the pumpkin puree formula to use in any dish you would apply canned pumpkin . Here ’s how to do it in the oven .

Step 1: Bake Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375 ° F . Clean your pumpkin for cooking . Scrub pumpkins thoroughly . slice autumn pumpkin into 5×5 - inch small-arm . take away and discard seeds and string ( saveseeds for roasting , if desired ) . Arrange part , rind incline up , in a single layer in transparency - lined baking cooking pan .

Microwave Tip : If you ’d prefer to nuke the cleaned pumpkin pieces rather than bake them , Microwave on gamy power for 7 minute per pound , turning pieces every few minutes so the portions cook equally . Once done , proceed with step 2 .

Step 2: Remove Rind

Bake , covered , until pinnace , 1 to 11/2 hours . When cool enough to plow , scoop pulp magazine from rind into a intellectual nourishment mainframe or liquidizer . Cover and process until placid .

Step 3: Strain

smooch puree into a ok - meshing sieve ( if you like , line the sieve with a double layer of 100%-cotton cheesecloth ) . allow stand 1 hour to drain . Lightly weightlift puree to remove any additional liquid state ; discard liquid .

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling

Prepare as directed through Step 3 . In a large bowling ball combine 7 cups strained pumpkin puree , 3 cup packed brownish sugar , 5 tsp . ground cinnamon , 4 tsp . ground ginger , 2 tsp . salt , 1 tsp . ground clove , and , if you like , 1 tsp . orange zest . Divide filling into four portions ( about 2 cup each ) .

How to Store Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Fresh pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin Proto-Indo European filling can be refrigerate in a tightly sealed container up to 3 days or hive away in the freezer up to 6 months . Be sure to force out as much air as potential from the container or zip - top bag before freeze your fresh Cucurbita pepo puree . To use , thaw in refrigerator .

How to Use Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin pie recipesare a stellar choice , of course of study ! Beyond that , we like to practice fresh pumpkin puree inPumpkin Mac and Cheese , Melt - in - Your - Mouth Pumpkin Cookies , and so much more .

Now that you ’re a pro at making unfermented pumpkin puree , you may mix things up with tinned and fresh as your timeline allows . It ’s no longer just for fall once you have some in the freezer and the pantry . So are you quick to pump up your menu all year long ? We sure are !

Three small pie pumpkins with vines on a gray surface

Credit: Kritsada Panichgul

Scraping pumpkin pulp

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Straining pumpkin

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