Homemade Pumpkin Puree- Steamed or Boiled

"When I was young, my mother made pumpkin pie from homemade pumpkin puree made from fresh pumpkins or hubbard squash we grew ourselves. Ahhhhh... good times! Being lazy, I have developed my own very simple method for creating pumpkin puree, which, surprisingly, has not been posted here previously. My method is faster and easier than the other recipes, which require baking the pumpkin for an hour or more and removing the skin, before or after cooking. I believe that you save a lot of the nutrition, particularly vitamin A, that would be lost if you were to remove the skin. You will be amazed at how smooth the puree is, even with the skin blended in. I also wanted to include some excellent notes from other contributors, or you can reference their recipes, on selecting the pumpkin or squash to make the puree. Notes from PainterCook (Recipe #290894) on hubbard squash Hubbard squash is sweeter and heartier than pumpkin.... You can easily substitute Butternut Squash with great results... Notes from Kim D. (Recipe #331853) on selecting a pumpkin I always use "sugar" pumpkins, also known as "pie" pumpkins.... much smaller ... and are much more tender and flavorful. --CHOOSING THE RIGHT PUMPKIN-- ... always choose a pumpkin that is free of blemishes and have been harvested with their stems intact. The pumpkin should feel heavy for their size and should have a dull skin. A pumpkin with a shiny skin was either harvested too early or was waxed by the grower. --STORING PUMPKINS-- Store pumpkins in a cool, dry place at 45F - 60F for up to a month, or refrigerate for up to 3 months. To store pumpkins for an extended time, wash the skins of the pumpkin with a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach to 1 gallon water to disinfect the skins and discourage the growth of mold."
 
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photo by Mia in Germany photo by Mia in Germany
photo by Mia in Germany
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
2
Yields:
2 varies
Serves:
1-10
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ingredients

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directions

  • Thoroughly wash the outside of the pumpkin.
  • Remove the stem and fibrous material around the stem and the bottom of the pumpkin.
  • Cube the pumpkin into large pieces.
  • Place in a large pot with just enough water to steam the pumpkin.
  • Boil for about 30 minutes or until both the pumpkin and the pumpkin skin are tender.
  • Blend the steamed pumpkin, with the skin, in a blender set on puree until smooth.
  • You can freeze for months or store in a refrigerator a couple of days prior to use in any recipe calling for pumpkin puree.
  • Servings and yield depend on the size of the pumpkin and what recipes the puree is used inches.

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Reviews

  1. Excellent method for making pumpkin puree if you prefer to take your carotenes in pumpkin shape and refuse to buy the canned stuff. Made it with butternut squash and it turned out perfectly. After exactly 30 minutes steaming time the squash - skin included - was so tender that I would have been able to press it through a sieve instead of processing it in a blender, and it tasted better than any pumpkin puree I have made so far. Thank you so much for broadening my horizon about working with pumpkins and providing such a simple and healthy method of making pumpkin puree!
     
  2. i was going to try making this with the crock pot method, but i had too much pumpkin to fit. so i decided to try steaming/boiling the rest. this is SO fast, only took about 20 minutes for mine to cook through! as for the crock pot batch... that's not gonna be done for another... say 5 hours :) thanks George for a quick and just as good alternative
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live near Philadelphia, but was born and raised in a very small town in the very northeast corner of New York state, Keeseville. My interest in cooking has it's foundation in my enthusiasm for eating! My parents insisted that all 5 children learn to cook and bake, and of course, clean up afterwards! When I started 4-H, I started gardening and using fresh grown (now called 'organic') vegetables for canning, freezing and cooking. My parents owned and ran a Tastee-Freez restaurant in Keeseville. For those unfamiliar with the deliciousness of Tastee-Freez, they are a chain very similar to Dairy Queen, the main difference being we sold ice cream, 11-14% butterfat, rather than ice milk at 5%.... the difference between nirvana and purgatory in soft-serve ice cream. Our Tastee-Freez was 'famous' for our michigans, which are hot dogs on buns with a meat sauce. I mention this mainly because I've noticed a couple of members who are apparently from Northern NY and are familiar with Michigans. No one here in PA knows what I'm talking about.
 
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