Homemade Pumpkin Puree (two ways)
It’s October my friends and we all know what that means, right? … It’s PUMPKIN SEASON!!! (And ofc spooky-season, but we’ll get back to that later this month.)
Every fall queen’s and king’s (and also non-binary peeps’!) favorite bright orange vegetable is back and ready to make every drink and dish approved for the colder season.
And because I, as well, have a lot of pumpkin-ized recipes for you, I thought it would be nice to just go over the basics again real quick. (And also because pumpkin puree is still pretty much nowhere to be found in german grocery stores, ugh.) However, so let’s make some homemade pumpkin puree today to get y’all ready for the upcoming recipes, yay!
and here are the two recipes for:
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients:
1 pumpkin*
Instructions:
Method 1: Oven Roasted Pumpkin Puree
Preheat the oven to 200°C, wash the pumpkin and cut in half.
Cut off the stem, spoon out the core and seeds and place both halves on a baking tray, with the cut side facing down.
Now bake the halves for about 40mins until soft, let them cool down and use a blender to process them (with or without the peel)* into a thick but smooth puree.
Method 2: Cooked Pumpkin Puree
Like described in method 1, wash and cut the pumpkin in half, as well as scoop out the core.
Optionally peel the pumpkin halves* and chop into small chunks.
In a pot, bring some water to a boil and cook the pumpkin chunks for about 10mins until soft.
Now drain the chunks very well and blend them into a smooth puree.
Tip: Both purees can be stored in a clean jar either in the fridge for 1-3 days or in the freezer for up to several weeks!
distinctions and use in different recipes:
As you can see in the picture above, both pumpkin purees are super smooth and vibrant in color.
The oven roasted puree may be a little bit more darker or intense in color and the consistency tends to be a bit more thick and starchy. Therefore it’s especially great for different kinds of dough, pastes or fillings.
The cooked puree is a little bit lighter in color but also quicker to make. It also has a higher water content, so it might be easier to get a super smooth consistency while blending. It’s particularly amazing for drinks (pumpkin spice latte, yaaay!), finer or more delicate baked goods, like pancakes, spreads or sauces. It also defrosts a bit better after freezing, because it doesn't dry out that much in my experience.
However, in general both versions are pretty similar and can be used in recipes interchangeably and I personally use both methods, depending on how much time I have that day. So I’d say just go for the method that suits you best! :))
if your fridge or freezer is stacked with pumpkin puree, you are officially ready for fall.
*Notes:
I tend to mostly use hokkaido pumpkins here, because they come in small sizes too, which allows me to make small portions, as well as use the whole pumpkin including the peel. You can of course use different kinds of pumpkins too though, just keep in mind that you may have to remove the peel when working with other types of pumpkins like butternut or muscat.
Did you make this recipe?
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