Farmers Market Pumpkin Puree- If you donโt want to cook with canned pumpkin, here I am with just the homemade pumpkin puree recipe you need for all of your Fall cooking, baking, and holiday needs. Making fresh pumpkin puree is so easy, youโll never want to buy the canned stuff again!
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Whenever possible, I try to avoid the pre prepared version of anything. This includes canned pumpkin. I don’t have anything against it, I just try to keep processed and canned items out of my diet if possible. In this post, I will show you how to make your own mashed pumpkin that can be used in sweet as well as savory recipes!ย
What Variety of Pumpkin Should I Use?
At markets and pumpkin patches, I have noticed that there are two primary types of Pumpkin available. These two varieties are Sugar Pie Pumpkins and Winter Luxury Pumpkins. I buy most of my pie pumpkins at the Farmers Market, hence the name Farmers Market Pumpkin Puree, but I also love buying them at the local pumpkin patch.
Sugar Pie Pumpkin
This pumpkin is the one you will most likely see during pumpkin season at the grocery store. These are going to be much smaller than the typical variety we think of that are used for carving. Sugar pie pumpkins are smaller, have a more uniform round shape than the bigger varieties, and they have a dark orange color that youโll find familiar.
Winter Luxury Pumpkin
I love this pumpkin! These are an heirloom variety from the late 1800s. They look much like the sugar pie variety, but the outer skin has a soft pale netting that creates a bumpy texture on the outside. This texture is a good thing, because it is caused by the sugars in the pumpkin bursting through the skin as it grows and oxidizing. Cool, right?
If you can find Winter Luxury, I highly recommend them. The flesh is smoother than that of a sugar pumpkin and does not need as much pureeing in a food processor to become velvety smooth.
Both of these varieties listed are just fine to use for this or any other recipe calling for pumpkin.
Pumpkin Puree VS Pumpkin Pie Filling
Why use homemade instead of canned? First of all, the โpumpkinโ in that can of pumpkin is not actually pumpkin. It is some sort of variety of necked squash.ย
Second, the flavor is so much better!
How To Make Farmers Market Pumpkin Puree
Making this yourself is so easy!ย
- Prepare the sheet pan and the pumpkins for roasting.
- Roast the pumpkins.
- Allow your pumpkins to cool.
- Scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin skin.
- Pulse pumpkin flesh in the food processor until smooth if needed (I recommend doing this even if it looks smooth.)
- Use in your recipe, or freeze for later use (more on freezing further down in the post).
How To Roast Pumpkin
Roasting your pumpkin is not only easy, but it adds flavor too!
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Remove the stem from the pumpkin and cut the pumpkin in half.
- Scoop out the seeds and save if you like to roast them, or discard them.
- Place the pumpkins cut side down on the baking sheet.
- Brush the skin with oil.
- Bake until a fork poked in the pumpkin halves goes in easily.
Thatโs it! Super simple, and you have fresh homemade pumpkin puree when you need it! More detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Tips For Preparing Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Donโt skip the step of brushing the skin with oil before roasting. It helps keep the skin from burning while the pumpkin roasts.
- I recommend using a rimmed baking sheet for this, just in case you have any juices that run they wonโt spill over into your oven.
- You may find that the skin becomes so soft that you canโt really scoop the pumpkin out, it is more like peeling the skin off. Thatโs ok! Sometimes that happens and it is perfectly normal.
Using Pumpkin Puree In Recipes
- If you are using puree in a cheesecake, be sure it is at room temperature before adding to your recipe.
- If you are going to be using this in a recipe that requires the puree to be very smooth such as gnocchi for example, running it through a few pulses in the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment should remove any lumps. I advise doing this anyway no matter what, so that it is smooth for whatever recipe you are using it in.
- If after draining it still appears too watery, you can place the puree in a large piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out more water.
It’s important to know that your homemade pumpkin puree is going to be pretty watery compared to the canned version, so you should not add it straight to a recipe without draining it first. When using homemade puree, I always put it into a colander to drain while I gather the rest of my ingredients and do the prep work for a recipe. If your colander has larger holes and you are worried about the puree slipping through the cracks, place some cheesecloth in the colander before you add the puree.
How Much Pumpkin Puree Can I Get From One Pumpkin?
This depends on the size of your pumpkin, butย typically one pumpkin will get you about 2 cups of puree. Most of the time, I roast two pumpkins to ensure I have enough for whatever I might be making.
What To Do With Pumpkin Puree
If you are looking for a few pumpkin puree recipe ideas, I have a few that are great to try!ย
This puree can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, so it is really versatile! Here are a few recipes that use pumpkin puree:
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Puree?
The puree freezes well, and it’s a great idea to freeze it in one cup portions so that you can pull out what you need, rather than freezing it all at once. I try to use it within two months after freezing. After roasting the puree, drain the excess water off before freezing. Once your puree is defrosted, drain it a second time to ensure there is no excess water before using.
If you are reading this, thank you for stopping by! I hope you love this Farmers Market pumpkin Puree, and that you find many ways to use it that you love!ย
If you tried this recipe, Iโd love to hear how it turned out! All you need to do is leave a rating or comment below.ย
If youโd like to share this recipe with friends, make it and take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable in a post on Instagram, pin to a board on Pinterest or share on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you like!ย
If you have not signed up for my newsletter, you can do that below. I have lots of exclusive content just for newsletter subscribers, and Iโd love for you to join. Happy Cooking!
Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree
Why buy canned pumpkin when you can make your own? This Farmers Market Pumpkin Puree is a great way to use all those fresh Fall pumpkins you can't resist buying at your local market. This recipe is so easy, and ready for all your baking and cooking needs!
Ingredients
- 1 Sugar Pie or Winter Luxury Pumpkin
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil, dull side facing up. You can also go without the aluminum foil if you prefer.
- Remove the pumpkin stem by sticking the tip of a knife under the edge of the stem and pushing up. it should pop right off.
- Cut the pumpkin in half, and place each half cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Brush the skin with the 2 Tbsp of avocado oil.
- Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until a fork easily pierces the skin.
- Allow the pumpkins to cool for a few minutes, and the skin will come right off, or you can scoop the flesh out if you are able to pick up the pumpkin halves in your hands.
- Place the pumpkin in a large freezer bag and refrigerate, or freeze until ready to use.
Notes
When using this puree in recipes, be sure to place in a colander and drain excess moisture out before using.
Puree will keep five days refrigerated, or up to a month frozen.
Sugar pumpkin or Winter Luxury are equally fine to use in this recipe.
If you are using the puree in a cheesecake, be sure to let the puree come to room temperature before adding to your cheesecake batter if the puree has been refrigerated or frozen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 63mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
All information presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is provided for recipes contained on this site. This information comes from online calculators. Although The Copper Table attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Nothing tastes as good as homemade pumpkin puree. Your recipe is so good and super easy. thank you.
You are welcome Giangi! I hope you get a lot of use out of this recipe for your Fall baking!
We always scoop our pumpkins out for jack-o-lanterns and bake the seeds. The rest goes into the trash, but I would love to try this out and see if any of us likes pumpkin anything. It certainly looks good! Thanks for sharing on Crafty Creators!
You’re welcome Niki, I hope you like the pumpkin when you try it!
Amy thank you so much for sharing your recipe in my weekly link party! I’m happy to say I’m featuring it this week! https://www.ourtinynest.com/2022/10/26/wednesday-link-party-319/
I’m going to have to try your recipe! Have a great day ๐
I have never seen the second variety of pumpkin you showed but I have definitely seen the sugar pumpkins around; I’ll have to try this!
Winter Luxury pumpkins are so good. I hope you can find some in your area!
This is a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing on SSPS, hope to see you again next week
I love roasted pumpkins and squashes. I also season and roast the seeds with some smoked paprika, they’re delicious! Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Traffic Jam link up!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
You are welcome Emma, I love roasted pumpkin seeds too!
There are so many uses for this! I actually put it in my cat’s food to help with hairballs and general digestion. Pumpkin is good stuff~ Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Hope your weekend is amazing!
I love growing those little sugar pumpkins. Theyโre not showy but theyโre so good for baking!
I agree Michele! They really are the best for baking!
Homemade anything is always the better way to go! And since it’s so easy to freeze and store it’s great to make ahead for the colder months. Thanks for sharing all your tips and advice ๐
You’re welcome Tammy!
Huh… I didn’t know there are different types of pumpkins. I’m not a baker, but I’m saving this for my friend who is.
Thanks bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.