How to Cook Fresh Pumpkin for Puree

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As much as I love the gardening months — planning, planting, tending the garden — I do also love the change in season when harvest and food preservation become top priorities (I just wish I didn’t also have other things like cleaning to do!). 

And learning how to cook fresh pumpkin is essential this time of year.

There’s something so special about pumpkins. Being in New Hampshire, pumpkins are native plants (and you know how much I love natives!) 

So it feels so special to be growing and preserving a food that the people of this land have grown and preserved for generations. 

Let’s dig in!

Best Pumpkin Variety for Pumpkin Puree

There are wide varieties of pumpkin, but the main difference is pie vs. carving.

Pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins) are smaller, and their flesh is smooth and sweet. Some common varieties are:

• Baby Pam
• Autumn Gold
• Ghost Rider
• New England Pie Pumpkin 

But the one I have been growing most recently is the Winter Luxury from Johnny’s Seeds.

Carving pumpkins, on the other hand, have less flesh (for easier carving), and the flesh is grainier and stringier. If you are hoping to eat your pumpkin, choose a pie pumpkin!

What’s So Great About Pumpkin Anyway?

Lots of things! Pumpkin is delicious, of course, but it’s also incredibly nutritious. It’s one of my favorite winter staple foods, offering lots of healthy fiber and carbs for the dark days of winter.

Pumpkin contains a lot of:

• dietary fiber
• vitamin A
• vitamin C
• riboflavin
• potassium
• copper
• manganese

Pumpkin also contains vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, thiamin, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Pumpkin is considered a starchy vegetable so it may not be the best choice for those suffering from blood sugar issues.

 However, eating starchy vegetables (like pumpkin) with healthy protein and fat reduces the impact it has on blood sugar and is generally a great choice for most people.

Additionally, pumpkin is very versatile and can be used in many dishes from pumpkin bread and muffins to stewed pumpkin and savory pumpkin soup.

Is Pumpkin a Fruit?

The short answer is: Yes and no (sorry!). 

Botanically, a pumpkin is a fruit since the pumpkin is the “fruit” of the pumpkin plant that grows from the flower (think apples, tomatoes, melon, etc). 

Typically, vegetables are the other edible parts of a plant, such as leaves and roots (think lettuce, spinach, potatoes, carrots, etc.)

However, culinarily, pumpkin is thought of as a vegetable (a starchy one!) since it is not naturally very sweet like apples, berries, melons, and other culinary fruits and wouldn’t be a great addition to a fruit salad.

So the short answer is: Pumpkin is a fruit in the garden but a vegetable in the kitchen.

Roasting Pumpkin Vs. Steaming Pumpkin

In this recipe I’m showing you how to roast your pumpkin for pumpkin puree. 

The reason I choose roasting over steaming is simple.  Roasting pumpkin intensifies the flavor and allows more of the moisture to escape so that you don’t end up with a wet, gloopy mess.

 If you’re using it for pumpkin custard, pumpkin pie, and many other baked recipes, watery pumpkin can change and even ruin your recipe. 

Roasting pumpkin is definitely the way to go!

How to Cut a Pumpkin for Cooking

Using a sharp knife, cut the stem off by turning the pumpkin on its side and cutting the stem and the top of the pumpkin off. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

Then turn the pumpkin back upright and cut down the middle so you have two halves filled with seeds. Remove the seeds and pulp and set aside (you can feed this to your chickens or roast the seeds later!).

How to Cook Fresh Pumpkin

Cooking pumpkin is so simple! Let’s jump into the pumpkin cooking steps.

 This roasting method is the easiest way to cook pumpkin for pureeing, and it keeps the flavor and nutrition better than steaming.

I love making homemade pumpkin puree because it’s incredibly easy and also great for freezing.

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small pie pumpkins
• cooking oil

Directions

Wash the outside of your pumpkin and dry with a clean towel.

Cut the stem off and then cut the fruit in half.

Scoop out the seeds and “goop” and save or toss (we roasted the seeds for ourselves and gave the stringy goop to the chickens).

Oil the cut side of the pumpkin and place face down on a parchment papered baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes for small fruits and 50-60 minutes for a large fruit. You can tell it’s done when you can easily pierce the skin (and fruit) with a fork.

Allow to sit until cool enough to handle.

Peel the skin off. I used a paring knife to peel the skin. If the pumpkin is cooked well you may not need anything but your fingers.

Cut into chunks and puree in the food processor until smooth. Yields 6-8 cups of puree.

Use however you use canned pumpkin. Leftovers can be frozen.

How to Cook Fresh Pumpkin for Puree

Cook fresh pumpkin for puree to can, freeze, or use right away.

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Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small pie pumpkins

Instructions

• Wash the outside of your pumpkin and dry with a clean towel.
• Cut the stem off and then cut the pumpkin in half.
• Scoop out the seeds and pumpkin “goop” and save or toss.
• Oil the cut side of the pumpkin and place face down on a parchment papered baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes for small pumpkins and 50-60 minutes for a large pumpkin. You can tell it’s done when you can easily pierce the skin with a fork.
• Allow to sit until cool enough to handle.
• Peel the skin off. I used a paring knife to peel the skin. If the pumpkin is cooked well you may not need anything but your fingers.
• Cut into chunks and puree in the food processor until smooth. Yields 6-8 cups of puree.
• Use however you use canned pumpkin. Stay tuned for next weeks post for a pumpkin truffle recipe using fresh pumpkin puree!

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How Long Should I Cook my Pumpkin Squash?

The great thing about pumpkin and other winter squash is that they are not delicate. You can overcook a pumpkin and it will still be amazing. Use the time guide above, but then just check on your pumpkin every 5-10 minutes by piercing with a fork. If it goes in smooth, the pumpkin is finished cooking!

How to Store Pumpkin Puree

My favorite way to store cooked pumpkin squash is to freeze it. Simple scoop your puree into ziploc bags (I like to measure 2 cups per bag, which is roughly how much a can holds). Lay the bags flat on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then you can stack them in the freezer however you like. Learn more about freezing pumpkins and other winter squash.

You can also keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. Just make sure to cover tightly (I like to use DIY beeswax fabric).

Fresh Pumpkin Recipes

Wondering how to use fresh pumpkin in recipes? You can use fresh pumpkin puree any way you use canned. I like to use it in:

• pumpkin butter
• pumpkin truffle recipe
• pumpkin soup
• flourless pumpkin bars
• pumpkin pie pudding
• pumpkin custard
• pumpkin bread
• pumpkin muffins
• pumpkin apple breakfast bake

I love trying new ways of using pumpkin since it’s so versatile!

Pumpkin Season Deliciousness

And that’s really all there is to it! Once you’ve got a batch of homemade pumpkin puree cooling on the counter, you’ll wonder why you ever reached for a can.

It takes a little time, sure, but almost none of it is hands-on. The oven does the real work while you go tackle that never-ending to-do list (or, hopefully, just enjoy a cup of tea and watch the leaves come down).

I love that something this simple connects me to the land here in New Hampshire and to everyone who’s grown and preserved pumpkins on this soil long before me.

There’s a delightfulness in turning a homegrown pumpkin into something that’ll show up on your table all winter long — in muffins, soups, breads, and everything in between.

If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how it goes! And if you’re new to preserving the harvest, this is a wonderful, low-stress place to start.

Happy roasting!