Tuesday tip: Making and Storing Pumpkin Puree

I absolutely could not think of a better post to do the day after Halloween than this one! Everyone has left over pumpkins right? Instead of throwing them away you could turn them into pumpkin puree and save it to make pies (or whatever your little heart desires) for the holidays!
Making Pumpkin Puree is so simple and not very time consuming at all. You only need a few materials even the most simple of kitchens comes equipped with.

Materials:
Left over jack o' lantern (or new pumpkin)
Aluminum foil
Pan
Knife
Potato Masher (or spoon or food processor or mixer)
Ziploc Bag

Preheat oven to 350
First, rinse out your pumpkin, make sure it's clean inside, then chop it into several chunks about the size in the below picture.

Cover a cookie pan with aluminum foil and place the pumpkins on it and put into the oven for about 45min-1 hour

They will be soft and mash-able like potatoes.

Next you can peel the skin off the flesh of the pumpkin and then mash or mix them until they are smooth. Now you are all finished with your puree! You can use it now or store it for later.

To store pumpkin puree measure 1 to 2 cups of the puree into a Ziploc bag and place them flat (for better storage). Write the date and the contents on your package and you are all set! Your frozen puree will stay good for up to a year! It's perfect to save it up for those Thanksgiving pies!

I'm really excited to hear how many of you did this and what you plan to do with your pumpkin puree.


-Amanda