How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin (to make pumpkin puree)
ByEvery year, the boys and I visit a pumpkin patch. Every year after visiting the pumpkin patch, I bake a few of the pumpkins we bring home so that I’ll have plenty of pureed pumpkin in the freezer for pies, breads, muffins and other treats throughout the year. Every year, in order to bake the pumpkins, I slice them in half to put them into a baking dish.
Ever tried slicing a raw pumpkin in half? It’s horribly not enjoyable or easy. Now don’t make fun of me, because it is a fact that I have very wimpy muscles. Therefore, I find that cutting a pumpkin in half makes me a little cranky -and also a little bit scared that I’m going to lose a finger.
This year, I decided to rebel - mostly because after the trip to the pumpkin patch with six boys (I took extras), I was a little tired and in no mood to lose a finger.
I’m not sure why I haven’t been cooking the pumpkin in its whole form all along – but now that I know it works so well, I will for sure be doing it this way from now on. Or at least on the days I don’t feel like losing a finger.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree from a Whole Pumpkin
First wash your pumpkin so that there will be no chance for soil or squished bugs to be mistaken for raisins in your muffins on a cloudy, autumn morning.
Next, give your pumpkin 6-10 nice stabs with a knife. There’s no better way to say it – there’s no such thing as gently poking a fork into a raw pumpkin. It must be stabbed. Although, I’m the one with the wimpy muscles, so what do I know?
Third, place your pumpkin in a baking dish, then into a 350° oven. I had to remove one of my oven racks to make this happen, but I figured I’d just saved at least three fingers, so this five second bit of labor was worth my time.
Bake your pumpkin for about an hour and a half or until poking it with a fork has become effortless.
Now slice the pumpkin in half – see how easy that is? Allow pumpkin to cool for 15-30 minutes.
Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and the stringy stuff. Save the seeds for making roasted pumpkin seeds if you’d like.
Someone tell me what the real name of that stringy stuff is. It probably has some technical name like ”glutinous threads”.
Scoop out the soft pumpkin – or turn the pumpkin over and easily slice away the rind.
All done:
Place a few slices into a food processor and puree until smooth.
Continue pureeing pieces of pumpkin until you’re finished, because that is the point at which you will be done. (Sometimes it’s fun to simply state the obvious.)
Freeze pumpkin puree in jars or freezer bags. I like to freeze it in two-quart portions for easy measuring while baking.
With my pumpkin puree, I make Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Pumpkin Bars, and Pumpkin Pie Squares – plus a delicious Multi-Grain Pumpkin Pancake/Waffle recipe my friend Angie shared with me that I will in turn be sharing with you tomorrow.
How do you make pumpkin puree (or do you buy it already canned)? What do you like to make with pumpkin?
Disclaimer: No fingers lost while making this pumpkin puree. Let us all rejoice.
If you're new to Heavenly Homemakers, you may want to subscribe to receive free updates through RSS feed or by Email. Thanks for visiting!
You’re a genius! I haven’t made homemade pumpkin puree yet, but have been planning on it. I’ll be visiting this post again for that!
[Reply]
Joan Reply:
November 5th, 2011 at 11:15 am
I baked my pumpkins last fall and after I pureed the cooked pumpkin, I froze some of it and made pies with the rest. It is delicious and so all purpose. I know it sounds weird but when my dog has a funky stomach, I give him a couple of tbsp’s. in his meals and it straightens his tummy right out.
[Reply]
Our local health food store features a “to-die-for” pumpkin cookie which we absolutely love! They just recently posted the recipe on their website! Here is the link: http://goodfoodstore.com/PDF/Recipe/Chocolate_Pumpkin_Cookies.pdf
These cookies are well known around our town as being heavenly!
Also,I’m trying the precursor to pumpkin pie–the colonists would put eggs, milk and spices inside a hollowed out pumpkin and bake it in the hot coals for a couple of hours until the pumpkin was soft and the milk mixture was custardy! My boys and I are going to try this and see what it’s like! Sounds yummy to me!
[Reply]
Angela Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 2:34 pm
This sounds really fun! I’d be curious to hear how it turns out!!
[Reply]
I SO wish I’d looked at this yesterday before I did 2 of the 4 pumpkins we bought this month. I will be doing the other 2 tomorrow (or next week) and I WILL bake the whole pumpkin. I have wimpy muscles and a tired back! Thanks for the tip.
[Reply]
Do you use actual Pie Pumpkins?
[Reply]
I decided to put the whole pumpkin in the oven and let it cook for 15 minutes and then stab it. It worked great because the skin was starting to soften a bit and I didn’t have to stab, just sorta give it a push.
[Reply]
Thank you for this awesome tip! I stopped by my local farm stand today and she had some nice pumpkins for $1 each! I’ve been craving pumpkin bread for a while now, so I’m a happy girl!! :)
[Reply]
I wish you all lived closer to me. I still have about 150 pie pumpkins left in my field!
[Reply]
Aha! You mean I don’t have to wrestle {hurt myself} the knife through the entire pumpkin to cut it in half?! Genius. Do you cook squash whole also??
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Yes, this works for squash too!
[Reply]
Thanks Laura! I just did this using your directions today. It was so much less work!
[Reply]
I’ve done this too and it’s so much easier! I love making pumpkin whoopie pies!
[Reply]
I’m going to try this too!
It will be my first time, I can’t wait.
It sounds so much easier than the way my mom does hers.
THANKS!
[Reply]
I would imagine you could remove the stem before putting it in the oven. It might fit a little easier. :) On the smaller pumpkins, they’re pretty easy to snap off.
[Reply]
Thanks. Perfectly timed post. I had planned to do my pumpkins this weekend. It was so much easier to do this way! Your website has blessed me in the kitchen so often. You are my go to website now for recipes and how tos in the kitchen.
[Reply]
How do you know if you have a pie pumpkin or not? We picked seven from a field but I’m not sure if any of them are pie-worthy after being used as decorations for Thanksgiving.
[Reply]
KT Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Sugar Pie Pumpkins are smaller, like 2-4 lb size, and will be sweeter and smoother. They are a specific variety of pumpkin. You can cook any kind of pumpkin, including the larger Jack-o-Lantern types. The larger the pumpkin, the greater likelihood the meat will be stringy-er in texture and less sweet. Just puree until it gets as smooth as it can and taste your batter when you make it with the larger pumpkin puree to see if you need a touch of any extra sweetner.
[Reply]
Vocab Lesson…That stringy stuff is really called “fibrous strands.” The part we eat is called the meat or pulp. Here’s a link to a pumpkin anatomy page: http://pumpkinnook.com/facts/anatomy.htm
[Reply]
Can the seeds be used (roasted) when you cook a whole pumpkin?
[Reply]
There is a patch by our house and after Halloween they give the pumpkins away. I cook the big and small pumpkins and have never had
a problem with the big ones. I love having
pumpkin puree to last all year for FREE! Praise
the Lord!
[Reply]
I jsut pureed 2 pumpkins-1 large and one small and let me tell you-I didn’t realize the mess that would be involved. Had I thought more about it, I should have anticipated such mess. But all in all, the mess was worth it because I have 12 cups of puree from my pumpkins!!! That is a ton. I am glad to know that they might need a little extra sweetner. All in all, I think we will do this again!
And after 9 years of marriage-I just learned that my husband likes roasted pumpkin seeds-learn something new everyday:)
[Reply]
How long can you freeze pumpkin puree?? :)
[Reply]
LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
It can be frozen for 2 years!
[Reply]
I just did this with the 8 pumpkins my plant produced this year. It was easy and the results are looking great! Thanks for posting another great idea!!
[Reply]
My creepy green pumpkins were too big for this method. But I will have to try it on a smaller pumpkin sometime! I have to cut it in 16ths, then steam 2 sections at a time in the microwave in a covered dish with a couple of inches of water. I cooked my 2nd pumpkin today, and was too tired to deal with puree LOL. I’m experimenting to see how it will turn out if I free the fruit in chunks, then puree it when I thaw it.
We are addicted to pumpkin muffins here right now! I will make cookies this week, with a cream cheese frosting, yum! Sadly, when I made pumpkin waffles last week I discovered I am allergic to nutmeg :( So next time I will have to leave out the seasoning. Maybe I could try chocolate chips instead :)
[Reply]
Do you know if this method for cooking a pumpkin also works for other squashes? i just bought some – a butternut and kambocha (or something like that) and was wondering how to cook them…. lol
[Reply]
Laura Reply:
November 21st, 2011 at 7:17 am
Yes, this same method should work!
[Reply]
I was blessed to find nice big pumpkins in wonderful fresh shape for just 25 cents each! So I will definitely be doing this! I’ve got 8 nice big ones. Guess what I’ll be doing Tuesday?
I like all kinds of pumpkin things. Bread, muffins, pie’s, cookies. I’ll have a good supply for all of it I’m sure! I’m thinking about trying a savory pumpkin soup with some of it too. Never had that before.
[Reply]
Awesome – I am halfway through the process and I love how simple it is! Thank you for sharing your tip and making this a simple job.
[Reply]
I, too, roasted the pumpkins whole and it was great! Thank you so much for posting this tip. Thanks also to the one who posted the tip about waiting 15 minutes after roasting to pierce the pumpkin…I’ll try that next time. I also placed my puree onto a silpat in 1/2 cup plops. Once frozen, I will put them into a freezer bag and they’ll be in easier form for baking–premeasured!
[Reply]
A word of advice: don’t roast the jack-o-lantern style pumpkins.
I just finished roasting up my Thanksgiving decorations, since we’re putting out the Christmas decorations. I had three pie-type pumpkins and three jack-o-lantern type pumkins (sorry I don’t know the actual variety names). The pie pumpkins are delicious. The jack-o-lantern pumpkins don’t taste like anything. Nothing. Like you didn’t put anyting into your mouth, nothing.
Luckily I didn’t lose any fingers in discovering this, thanks to your method! ;)
[Reply]