Why go to the store and buy canned pumpkin when you can make your own pumpkin puree? I mean after all, didn’t you just go and buy pumpkins to sit on your front porch, that normally get tossed in a month? And don’t you think the stores charge way too much for a tiny can of that orange stuff?
It’s really easy to make your own pumpkin puree and about the only way I can justify buying one of those big orange fruits. 🙂 They make for cheery fall decor and later on they make amazing pumpkin puree for pies!
Note: Not all pumpkins are created equal. The pie pumpkins work the absolute best, but I buy the big ones because… Well, because like big ones! Anyway on with what I was saying…
How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree:
I started with a big yellow beauty that took up residence on our front porch for awhile. And using my biggest and sharpest knife, I managed to cut that baby in half and scoop out all the seeds. If you like pumpkin seeds, then by all means, save them for roasting later.
I laid each half with the cut side down on a cookie sheet and baked them for an hour and a half at 350. Depending on the size of your pumpkin you may want to adjust the time a bit. Basically you want your pumpkin to be fork-tender. Once your pumpkin is done. Let it cool a bit and then peel off the the skin.
Cut your pumpkin into smaller pieces and use a food processor to puree. Some pumpkins are much more watery than others. If you think your pumpkin is too watery, put cheesecloth in a strainer and let the pieces drain there a bit before you puree them.
Once my puree cooled I poured it into glass jars and then used my vacuum sealer (amazon affiliate link) to seal them. Turns out this wasn’t the best idea since the expanding of the puree as they froze ended up breaking the seal, and in some cases my jars.
Pour your puree into freezer bags to avoid potentially breaking your jars.
You may notice that your pumpkin puree is not as orange as what you buy in the store. There is a reason for this. Most of what you buy in the store is not pumpkin, but squash that has most likely been colored. 🙂 However if you want more color for your pumpkin pies, just cook and puree a few carrots and mix in. Or add in a bit of natural yellow food coloring. I don’t mind the pale color so I don’t add in anything.
Do you make your own pumpkin puree in the fall?
NOTE: please do not attempt to can your pumpkin puree. It is low acid and far to dense to get properly cooked through while in the canner and puts you at risk for food poisoning. Pumpkin puree should only be frozen.
Want more information on preserving foods? Check out Food Preservation Made Simple.
About how much puree do you get from one large pumpkin? I’d love to make this and stock up for the whole winter–so much cheaper than buying the cans, too!
You know, I’m not 100% positive, but I think it was something like 6 pint.
I’ve been making and freezing my own pumpkin for years. For a pumpkin about the size in the picture you’ll get 6-8 cups. Homemade pumpkin puree is so much better than canned.
I did as you said 🙂 but why can’t I just store it rather than freeze? and how long can I keep it before it gets bad? I also read you can get a life threatening disease if you don’t can properly, and this doesn’t require a pressure cooker which removes that disease. Can I be sure that I won’t get people sick?
BTW, your site is awesome 🙂
Vacuum sealing is not a good substitute for canning. I used the vacuum sealer on my jars to help eliminate freezer burn. When you promptly package and freeze the pumpkin, there shouldn’t be a chance for the bacteria to grow. But if you vacuum seal the jars and don’t freeze, that lower pressure can actually encourage the bacteria to grow faster. So just make sure you pop them in the freezer right away. 🙂
From all I’ve read, it is NOT safe to can puree even if it is pressure canned. It is too thick to heat all the way to the inside for killing bacteria or something. Canning it in chunks if fine but it needs to be pressure canned. The puree NEEDS to be frozen. Hope this helps someone.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve read too. My mom has canned it it fine, but she has canned for years. I don’t recommend canning at all.
Most jams and pickles you can do the waterbath and let them seal as they cool down and they are fine. The books just say not to do that with pumpkin because it is low acid and too dense. Applesauce is a fruit and higher in acid so it is ok to do that. Freezing was the right thing to do, but you probably didn’t leave room for expansion and that is why they exploded. If the glass isn’t broke, just refreeze in ziplocks or in the jars with 1″ head space. You don’t need to cook them or use new lids.
From what I read in the canning books and online searching pumpkin and the like should not be canned. Or was that “water bath” over pressure canning? You comment ” If you canned them properly you should be fine.” Seems to promote canning of pumokin? When you use the vaccume seal are you using jars or bags? Thanks for the info.
Okay… I do not promote the canning (in any way) of pumpkin puree. I know it has been successfully done, but I’m not promoting it.
As for vacuum sealing, that is done with the jars, however freezing often expands the puree enough to release the seal. I only do it to remove as much air as possible ahead of time. I’m pretty sure trying to vacuum seal puree in a bag would only result in a huge mess.
For canning – pressure can only – cube your pumpkin, boil for 2 minutes, reserve the hot liquid. Fill jars with hot pumpkin leaving 1/2 inch head room. Fill with hot liquid leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Pressure process at 10 pounds (240°F/116°C) pints 55 minutes/quarts 90 minutes
Thank you
I had never heard of making your own pumpkin puree, until I met my mother-in-law sixteen years ago. I was shocked by how easy it was, and how great I felt to not waste those beautiful pumpkins. I cut my pumpkins into about 8 by 6 inch chunks and wrap them in foil before roasting. I haven’t purchased pumpkin since getting married fifteen years ago, although it took some time to figure out how to modify baking recipes because the pumpkin is considerably thinner than what I find in store-bought pumpkin puree.
In Christ,
Melissa
Yeah, some pumpkins are a bit thinner than others. The ones I buy aren’t too bad. I usually just add in a tiny bit more flour than the recipe calls for. But I forgot once and it turned out fine…
By pumpkin pie pumpkins are you referring to the smaller ones? They are on sale at my local Walmart for 25¢ each and they have a bunch. After reading this post I think I want to try! I just want to make sure they’re the right ones. I think the little sticker in them said pumpkin pie pumpkins.
Yes, I am. If they are that cheap, I say go for it! You will get yummy pumpkin for sure 🙂
I’ve always felt guilty throwing away my pumpkins every year-now I won’t have to! Great tips and I look forward t making a batch of your puree this fall! Thank you so much for sharing at The Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! I’m pinning to our favorites board!
Thank you! We love our pumpkin pie around here and it’s so nice to have it on hand rather than needing to buy 🙂
Hello,
How do you use your vacuum sealer on your jars? I have a vacuum sealer with the marinating dish & tube but I wouldn’t have any idea on how to seal jars with the vacuum sealer. Thanks for any input you can send my way.
I’m not sure what the marinating dish is. Mine has an attachment that I used, you place the lid on your jar, then a tight-sealing cap goes over it with a tube connecting it to the sealer. Once it’s done sealing, the cap will come off but the lid remains. I really don’t know how to explain it any better than that without photos 🙂
I saw the picture and thought, “Oh no, someone is canning pumpkin puree!” Glad to see you tell everyone not to! 🙂 I never thought of freezing it in jars, great idea!
I’ve considered putting some in bags and taking photos that way as a lot of people think it’s okay to can 🙂 My mom included… :/ lol Freezing in jars can be tricky as you cannot fill them too full or the jars will break.
Great blog post on pumpkin puree, years ago that is all they did ‘canning’, I have a neibour that cans all her meats too…. My mom got badly burned by a canner years ago and never touched one again… So I freeze everything too.
When I use freezer bags, I always use a straw to remove any excess air from the bags to prevent freezer burn.
Thank you again for your post.
I grow my own pumpkins and some haven’t turned orange much at all. Can I still use those?
I’m wondering if they are more of a yellow pumpkin? Some don’t turn orange. If the stem is dried, they are ripe. Chances are though, even if they aren’t ripe they will be fine, just not as flavorful.
I freeze my pumpkin purée or chunk it in one cup baggies then put the small bags in a large freezer bag. Also cook the pumpkin in the crock pot. It is the best. I use it in more recipes than just pies.
We have been making our own puree for years, we add all the ingredients for pie filling except the milk and egg then freeze in bags… our guests say it is the best!!!
Our city puts out dumpsters for recycling pumpkin so we pick the best from there.
Brilliant! Lovely way to “recycle” pumpkins 🙂
We buy our pumpkins every year from a produce farm. The owner said the Cinderella pumpkins make the best pies so that’s what we buy. They’re shaped with deeper ridges and there is a lot more meat inside. The color outside is kinda gray but the inside is absolutely gorgeous. This year’s pumpkin will make 14 pies. I’ve made the best pies, bread and pancakes using them.
I did the vacuum seal on pint size jars ONLY. I had to leave more space at the top of the jar because some of the seals did pop when the purée expanded, Never use quart size canning jars in the freezer with food or liquids in them. They will break just about every time. Even if you leave the cap off until the contents are frozen, upon thawing, even in the refrigerator, the jar will break. Sorry, this has been my experience. Save yourself the time and money in quart jars.
Hello everyone. I have been dehydrating my pumpkin puree and then running the dried pumpkin through a coffee grinder to make pumpkin powder. The pumpkin powder can then be hydrated and used in whatever way you want. I store the powder in quart canning jars and make sure they are sealed with a vacuum sealer. Just be sure you spread the puree as thin as you can on silicone mats.
I keep my zucchini and pumpkins on my cellar floor (in Maine) where it is cool; not as cold as the fridge and they last for months. I usually have Z into late November, anyway. If the pumpkins gets a bad spot, I cut it out, bake the rest, and freeze it. My p. bread recipe calls for water; I just use the called for amount of pumpkin plus the extra half cup to account for the needed water. I have also used leftover (storebought canned) pumpkin puree mixed into the eggs for French toast with pumpkin pie spice–adds a different flavor! We love pumpkin pancakes with choc chips!