Homemade Pumpkin Puree
By Andrea GearyPublished on July 27, 2014
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour resting
Yield
Makes about 2½ cups puree
Ingredients
Before You Begin
A sugar pumpkin is about 8 to 10 inches in diameter and usually has a darker orange exterior compared with jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Its flesh has more flavor and is also denser and drier than that of bigger pumpkins, so it will take less time to cook.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pumpkin halves cut side down on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the flesh can be easily pierced with a skewer, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn halves over and continue to roast 30 minutes longer. Scoop flesh from skins and puree in a food processor until smooth. Drain puree in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl for at least 1 hour.
- To test consistency, pack puree into a small drinking glass and unmold it onto a plate. It should slump gently toward base but otherwise hold its shape. Loosen as necessary with drained liquid, or return puree to strainer and continue to drain it if it is too loose. Puree can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen in an airtight-container with parchment pressed on its surface for up to two months. You can substitute this puree for an equal amount of canned product.
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour restingYield
Makes about 2½ cups pureeIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A sugar pumpkin has more flavor and is also denser and drier than that of bigger jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, so it will take less time to cook. However, it’s still somewhat watery, so you can’t simply cook it until soft and then puree it. For a texture that is comparable to canned pumpkin, we roast the sugar pumpkin until it is completely tender, then puree it in a food processor until smooth. We then drain the cooked pumpkin in a fine-mesh strainer for about an hour to remove excess liquid. To check its consistency, pack the pumpkin into a drinking glass and unmold it: It should slump gently toward the base.
Before You Begin
A sugar pumpkin is about 8 to 10 inches in diameter and usually has a darker orange exterior compared with jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Its flesh has more flavor and is also denser and drier than that of bigger pumpkins, so it will take less time to cook.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pumpkin halves cut side down on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the flesh can be easily pierced with a skewer, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn halves over and continue to roast 30 minutes longer. Scoop flesh from skins and puree in a food processor until smooth. Drain puree in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl for at least 1 hour.
- To test consistency, pack puree into a small drinking glass and unmold it onto a plate. It should slump gently toward base but otherwise hold its shape. Loosen as necessary with drained liquid, or return puree to strainer and continue to drain it if it is too loose. Puree can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen in an airtight-container with parchment pressed on its surface for up to two months. You can substitute this puree for an equal amount of canned product.
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