Pumpkin Purée

Fall is officially in full swing. Apples. Pumpkin patches. Corn mazes. Warm beverages. Cider and donuts. EVERYTHING pumpkin flavored. Literally everything. I'm a pumpkin fan so I really can't complain. In fact, I'm going to celebrate the pumpkin craze by sharing this pumpkin purée "recipe" that is really just instructions on something ridiculously basic.

Funny story. One time my husband and I were young and silly and decided to make pumpkin purée at his college apartment. We went to the store to find a nice pumpkin to roast and purée. We got back and cut it apart, like I do in this recipe. We roasted it for what seems like forever...much longer than the recipe we were looking at. We very slowly and with much effort scooped the flesh out of the skin and attempted to purée it. We eventually made it work only to realize later that you don't just use any old pumpkin to make purée. You use pie pumpkins. 

Take this story as a lesson. Please, please, don't use a regular pumpkin. You will be tired and sad and covered in pumpkin guts. It's not a pretty sight. So when I actually tried this again with a pie pumpkin, I realized that there is a reason that the "pie" in "pie pumpkin" isn't optional if you want to maintain your sanity. Or at least what's left of your sanity. You don't even have to scoop the flesh out because the skin actually peels off easily (see below)!

Once you try making your own pumpkin purée, you will realize the many cans of pumpkin purée you bought could have been made easily at home. Also, this freezes wonderfully to use after pumpkins are replaced with snow and Christmas trees so no excuses!!

PUMPKIN PURÉE

prep time: 15 minutes, cook time: 45 minutes

makes: approximately 4 cups of puree (depending on the size of your pumpkin)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pie pumpkin

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut of the top of the pumpkin then cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp (save the seeds to bake and snack on!). Cut pumpkin into large chunks. I cut mine into about 8 pieces total.
3. Bake for 45 minutes on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Peel off the skin and puree a few pieces at a time in a food processor. You can also use a blender if you add a splash of water.

NOTES
You can use this immediately or freeze for later. I split mine into about 1 cup portions and froze it. If it's too thick add a splash of water.