Pumpkin Puree

We stopped by the farm stand this weekend and picked up a few New England Pie Pumpkins.  We barter the use of our field for a $100 credit there.  I hadn't used any of our credit.  I was saving it to pick up these beauties for pureeing.  Here's how I preserve pureed pumpkin.

I wash the baking pumpkin and the slice it in half from stem to stern.

I scoop and scrape out the seeds and pulp.  My favorite tool for this is our tablespoon measuring spoon.  The edge seems to work like a melon baller.

I place the pumpkins on a parchment line baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for an hour.  Depending how hot your oven runs it could take a few minutes less or more.

You'll know it's ready when you can easily sink your knife through the skin.

Next scoop out the pulp with your handy tablespoon and place in your blender or food processor.  Puree. 

Each half of a pumpkin is generally about 2 cups of puree.  That's just right for a pie!  1 pumpkin = 2 pies.  Next I place the puree in a labeled freezer bag and squeeze as much air as I can out before sealing it.  I lay these flat on a tray to freeze.  That way they stack really nicely in our freezer.