Written by Kate Tietje and updated by Sarena-Rae Santos in October of 2023.
In 2010, I decided I wanted to start making my own pumpkin puree. I usually bought a can or two each winter to make pumpkin bread, but of course, I knew there were issues with BPA in the can liners. Making my own seemed to be the best solution at the time! Now, it’s a lot easier to find BPA-free canned pumpkin puree, but in case you’re interested in making your own (it is cheaper), let me explain how to do it.
Start by picking out a pumpkin at a local farm (or supermarket). If buying from a farm, look for a pumpkin with a well-attached, brown, dry stem (this is a sign the pumpkin is mature enough to be harvested). If you’re buying a pumpkin at a supermarket, look for one that’s solid to the touch without soft spots. Now for the part you’ve been waiting for — how to make pumpkin puree.
Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin(s)
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. While the oven is preheating, cut the tops out of the pumpkins and slice them in half.
Step 2: Remove the seeds and pulp. (You can save the seeds to plant your own pumpkins, make pumpkin seed butter, or roasted pepitas.
Step 3: Place the pumpkin cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour.
Step 4: Scoop the pumpkin into a bowl, mashing it just slightly (it should already be very soft, and the water should have been released during baking).
Step 5: If you’re freezing the pumpkin puree for a later time, you can put 1-cup portions into freezer bags. You could also spoon the pumpkin puree into standard ice cube trays for 2-tablespoon portions, which are great for making pumpkin spice creamer.
What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin puree?
Mmm. Pumpkins and sweet potatoes are some of my favorite foods – I like to make soups, mostly. A blend of butternut squash, sweet potato, and pumpkin is heavenly with a bit of fresh cracked black pepper, cream, and a dash of ginger. Add some crumbled bacon and chives on top – HEAVEN.
I love making lots of different recipes with pumpkin so thank you so much for posting this about how to freeze pumpkin puree – this will be my project next weekend!
I was wondering how long frozen pumpkin purée would keep?
6 – 8 months most likely before it was kind of stale/freezer burned. Deep freezing and wrapping well may be more like a year.
Someone just gave me 2 large pumpkins, so I am going to can them since I don’t have a lot of freezer space.
How long do you can your pumpkin puree and do you just add the pumpkin puree and nothing else? Because I have 6 15 pound pumpkins on the vine just about ready to be pulled and I am preparing to can them for the first time. Any tips would also be welcomed… 🙂 Thank you.
Hi Danielle,
It’s not recommended to can pumpkin puree because of how thick it is — it’s hard to get all the bacteria out so it won’t spoil. For freezing it, though, I just have the puree and nothing else.
You may can pumpkin in cubes using a pressure canner. Contact the local county extension office for safety guidelines. There is a ton of info from your local county extension office. :>)