Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Wash, dry and trim off the stem of the pumpkin. Stand the pumpkin on the flat side and cut it in half, or cut a larger pumpkin into quarters. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and pulp. Keep the seeds to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Place pumpkin halves on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake at 350°F in the center of your oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until easily pierced with a knife without resistance.

Peel the skin off all the chunks and cut the pumpkin into 1-inch pieces. Process in batches in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed for even blending. You should end up with a smooth applesauce consistency.

For a thicker puree needed for pumpkin pie or most recipes that call for canned pumpkin puree, set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line with a double layer of cheesecloth. Put the puree into the cheesecloth, wrap and gently squeeze to help release excess liquid. For a consistency similar to canned puree, I was able to strain off almost 1 cup of liquid from 2 small pie pumpkins.

Use it immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, place 1 cup of puree into a freezer-safe zip bag, push out all the air, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months or longer in a deep freezer.