Pumpkins. They’re the symbol of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all things fall-related. And even in my cold, dry part of the country, they’re all over the place because they’re fairly easy to grow.
DIY Pumpkin Puree
Oftentimes, people grab canned pumpkin from the store because they’re not sure how to turn their cute fall decoration into a pie. While there’s nothing wrong with canned pumpkin, why not use something that is so abundant as pumpkins in the fall? I have heard plenty of people say that they can’t get the same texture from fresh pumpkin that you do from canned. I have been growing and using pumpkin for years, and I’d like to show you what I do to get pumpkins from my garden to behave exactly like canned pumpkin in recipes.
Cooking the Pumpkin
Start by cooking the pumpkin. I’ve seen cookbooks say to cut the pumpkin into pieces, put foil over it, and then put water in a pan to steam. You can do that.
But I like to avoid work wherever possible, so this is what I usually do. I slice a pumpkin most of the way around the middle. I can check if it’s still good on the inside, but then roast it like this because the moisture inside the pumpkin will steam it. The large slice around the middle lets steam escape; if you don’t cut the pumpkin at all, you’ll have an explosion. You really do need a very large incision.
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