My brand new cookbook is out on Amazon! It’s called “30-Minute Plant-Based Recipes” and it’s perfect for busy vegans. Grab it now!
Pumpkin puree from scratch that tastes better than canned. It’s easy to make, healthy, and nutrient rich. Use the puree to make soups, desserts, and more!
Are you tired of processed canned pumpkin puree? If you want to boost your pumpkin recipes with
Let’s talk canned vs. fresh.
Why does canned taste different from fresh?
Canned facts:
- Well, first, the canning process strips all the nutrients. No
bueno amigo. - Canned is processed, which means there is sodium and probably other BS we’ve never heard of.
- Plus…canned pumpkin often contains things other than pumpkin…such other squashes like butternut. I read this article on the
Kitchn where it said companies add other squash purees to the canned pumpkin puree to enhance color and to add sweetness. That’s just nuts!
Fresh facts:
- All nutrients are intact. Yeah, we lose a little after cooking but we can’t really eat raw pumpkin anyway.
- It isn’t sweet. When I first tasted fresh pumpkin puree, I couldn’t believe how fresh I tasted! Less sweet vs. canned.
- Very light texture. It isn’t as dense as the canned version.
- Lighter color. Not as orange as the canned version we’re used to. #reality
If you did a blind taste test, comparing fresh vs. canned, you will notice that the canned version has a weird taste to it. I think since many people are used to the canned version, they may not like the fresh version. This is a terrifying thought.
Okay, so how do you actually make the pumpkin puree? It isn’t hard I swear!
You roast the pumpkin in the oven. Then puree it. That’s it!
Just make sure you don’t buy the giant Halloween pumpkin. The Halloween kind isn’t edible. The giant Halloween pumpkins are simply for decoration and don’t have much flesh on the inside.
You’ll have to get the medium sized pumpkin often labeled as “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins” at the grocery stores.
Okay, enough babbling. Let’s get cooking!
Make your own pumpkin puree from scratch that tastes better than canned. It’s easy to make, healthy, and nutrient rich. Use the puree to make soups, desserts, and more!
- 1 Pumpkin
- dash of sea salt
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Preheat oven to 400 F / 200 C.
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Wipe the pumpkin with a wet cloth to get rid of any dirt that maybe on its surface.
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Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin from the side opposite the stem. Do not cut the stem as it’s very rough. Keep cutting the pumpkin until you reach the stem on both sides. Then, separate the pumpkin into two halves with your hands. This method is safe and easy way to cut the pumpkin.
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Using a spoon and/or fork scoop out the seeds from the middle. Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin halves with sea salt.
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Place both pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet layered with parchment paper.
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Bake for 60 minutes. To check if it’s cooked all the way through, pierce it with a knife. If the knife easily goes all the way through then your pumpkin is done.
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Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
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Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin with a spoon. It should be very soft.
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Blend the flesh in a food processor or high speed blender until it reaches puree consistency, about 30 seconds.
Nutrition Information (medium sized pumpkin): Calories: 196 Fat: 0.7 g Saturated fat: 0.4 g Carbohydrates: 48 g Dietary Fiber: 10.8 g Sugar: 10 g Sodium: 10 mg Protein: 7.1 g
My brand new cookbook is out on Amazon! It’s called “30-Minute Plant-Based Recipes” and it’s perfect for busy vegans. Grab it now!
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