Do it yourself Pumpkin Puree

Nothing beats real homemade pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread.  Homemade down to the pumpkin puree!  Mmmmm good!  The best part?  It's not ridiculously hard either.  I will forewarn you, it is incredibly messy, and a bit time consuming.  

I like doing this because it is the second year we're doing it, and it is a great project for the whole family.  Bill and Eoin both helped this year.  It's become one of our fall traditions!  Word to the wise, this is a project best reserved for a free day.  I, however, decide to make my life unnecessarily hard and did this and the chicken stock in the same night!  

For the past two years we have gotten one large pumpkin when we've gone pumpkin picking and instead of carving it and letting it rot on our doorstep, we've decided to put it to good use.  Bill loves my pumpkin bread, as well as my pumpkin pie, and one large pumpkin renders enough pumpkin for us for 1 year.  Every now and then, I'll make a pumpkin bread or pie for the 3 of us, and during the fall and winter, I bring either when we are invited over to friends or families houses for dinner.  Last year, I would mix the pumpkin puree with plain yogurt and make a sort of custard for Eoin, which really didn't go over too well, but it is an idea for anyone else who may be interested.  

Now, how to make your very own puree:

Take your pumpkin and scrub the outside, pat dry. 

Cut your pumpkin in half, then into quarters, keep cutting it down into large chunks that can easily fit into baking dishes, baking pans, roasting pans, etc.  (Make sure to discard the stem, you're not roasting that)  Scrape the pieces clean of any and all seeds and gunk.  You can save the seeds and roast them.

You can add a little bit of water to the bottom of the pans.  Bake at 300º for about an hour.  I would check at 30-35 min.  Insert a knife or fork, to check for tenderness.  If it goes in and out easily, it's tender and ready!

Let the pumpkin pieces sit in the tray until cool.  

When the pumpkin is cool to the touch, cut the flesh of the pumpkin away from the shell.  Put the scraped pumpkin into a food processor and puree until smooth.  (This is a great part where your kids can help, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED!  When Eoin helps me, I am ALWAYS right there next to him!)

Or, you could use a hand masher, you will have SOME lumps in the mixture.

I then label baggies with either 1 cup or 2 cups Pumpkin Puree and the date it was made.  Freeze flat.  To thaw, place baggie in a bowl and put in the refrigerator overnight.  Stays good frozen up to 1 year.