Okay, so I know this post might be coming to you a tad late in the game, but trust me.
It is exceedingly necessary.
How do you know you might benefit from this post? If you:
A) Cut up and de-seed your pumpkins before roasting and pureeing them;
B) Partially roast your pumpkins before cutting them apart, de-seeding them, and returning them to the oven before pureeing;
C) Just use the stuff in the can because even reading about these two accepted methods makes your soul go die…
D) Have never heard of a pumpkin…
You need this post. Desperately.
Recently a post on a major recipe site which shall remain nameless boasted an easier way to puree pumpkins. It listed Method B. I was. Underwhelmed.
People, did you all seriously not know that you could roast your pumpkins whole before degunking and pureeing them? That, unless you were saving the seeds for planting, it was possible to avoid mutilating flesh wounds by waiting until the pumpkin was soft and buttery to cut it apart? That you could even roast the hot seeds afterward if you were into that? That it was possible to have awesome pumpkin puree without somehow making yourself suffer emotional damage for it?
You didn’t?
Well Bad Mama Genny can tolerate that no longer.
Enjoy this post, misfits. Hold it close to your hearts. And if you have friends, lovers, sisters, muthahs, or brothahs from othah muthahs who may be suffering from Pain in the Ass Pumpkin Puree Disease (PITAPPD)..send this post to them.
Step into the kitchen, bitches. Bring your punkins. It is time to, how you say, throw down.
**What’s that? You’ve already got your puree and you’re ready to party? Well, let me just help you out:
*Homemade Pumpkin Cranberry Maple Spice Wine, or, The Poshest Feral Catty Shack in Dee World!
*Homemade Gift Idea: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (Cake, It’s Cake!) And Other Experiments with Opera and Bunny Suits
*Pumpkin Sunflower Seed Sourdough Loaf, or, This Recipe Will Result in Your Getting a Pony. Maybe.
*Boo Mama Genny: Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Spice Glaze, or, I Will Scream “Eyeball” at You on the Street
*Pumpkin Sage Ravioli, or, The Mother is So Bad She’s Good
*Homemade Pumpkin Lattes, OR, This Volleyball is For Decoration Only
*Shortcut Pumpkin Bacon Risotto, or, Hey, I Know, Let’s Piss Off the Purists!
Or maybe you just wanna make your pumpkin puke?
*Boo Mama Genny: Chips and Brains, or, Vegan Avocado, Corn, and Bean Dip in a Pumpkin Bowl
Or hear about how my pumpkins climbed trees (and basketball hoops, and children, and some other shit):
*My Pumpkin Tree, or, Look, My Plants Violate Each Other’s Space…Just Like a Real Family!
Pumpkin Puree the EASIEST Way
Go Get:
One or more pie pumpkins
Go Do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Break off as much of the stem as you can manage, rinse off the pumpkin(s), and place it on a lined cookie sheet. I’ve never had a punkin explode in the oven, but if you’re really concerned, jab a slit or two into the pumpkin pre-baking. But like I said, I find that to be totally unnecessary, and you don’t want to dry the sucker out.
Roast for one hour, 1 hour and 15 minutes if it’s an especially huge pie pumpkin or your oven isn’t terribly efficient. You’ll know it’s done when a knife easily passes through the skin and flesh with no resistance.
Cool for half an hour.
Take a knife and cut the top off. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and meshy part.
Peel the skin away from the flesh and use a spoon to scoop it out where it sticks.
Mash the puree with a fork or stick it in the food processor and let ‘er rip until it’s all smooth. You can add water to make this easier, but I don’t recommend it unless it seems absolutely necessary–you want the puree to be thick and undiluted.
That’s it! Either use it right away, stick it in the fridge for a few days, or separate it into freezer-safe containers or bags and store it for the long haul.
© 2011, Genevieve P. Charet. All rights reserved.
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2011 Genevieve Charet
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What is a pie pumpkin and is that the same as a halloween pumpkin?
Hi, Erica!
Good question–they’re actually two totally different things. Well, aside from their both being pumpkins.
Most Halloween pumpkins are Connecticut Field Pumpkins–they’re grown for size and shape, and the flesh is paltry and stringy and not very tasty.
A pie pumpkin is usually much smaller–no more than a few pounds (hence my being able to fit two on a cookie sheet in the picture above!). The flesh is sweeter, starchier, more densely packed, and more plentiful. It is delicious. There are many other pumpkin varieties out there that taste good, too (the standard pie pumpkin is just the most popular) but the kind grown for Jack-o-Lanterns is not one of them.
Most supermarkets will distinguish and label their pie pumpkins as such.
Hope that helps, Erica!
BMG
Oh em gee! Yes I am going to give this a try next year. Though I can eat pumpkin stuff at ANY time. Nom.
Soli @ I Believe In Butter recently posted..What has been and what may come: most popular posts of 2011
Totally, Soli, AT ANY TIME. It’s just the man who tell us not to, really. I still have a few pumpkins out on my coffee table, and bags upon bags of puree in the freezer. Punkin is going to be a part of our repertoire for a loooong time to come.
Sorry, The Boy.
Oh, what’s that? You don’t mind?
That’s a good The Boy.
Oh, what’s that? You want me to stop speaking for you? Well, that’s just something I can’t do, The Boy.
Thank you, I’m so glad you understand!
Ye Gods why didn’t I find this post sooner? I’ve been cutting my punkins before roasting. I have 5 more to roast tomorrow (after the 10 I’ve done this week) and will try it this way.
In the meantime, here’s to making punkin chocolate chip cookies!
On a side note: should I let them cool down before cutting? Don’t wanna burn the tipsies of the fingers.
Hi, Calico! I’d let ‘em cool at least slightly–enough so that you can handle them, and to let the steam chill out first. And I’d wear mitts as a just in case. Have fun! Are your cookies the soft and chewy variety? Those are THE BEST.
BMG
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