Homemade Pumpkin Puree

I have some pumpkin puree resting in the freezer until I'm ready to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner.

Have you ever made homemade pumpkin puree?  I have been wanting to try this for a while...it was easy to do, so I thought you might be interested. 

I started by cutting the top of the pumpkin off.

Then I cut the pumpkin in half and removed the seeds and innards.

This is a slimy job, but someone has to do it ;-)

I used the best kitchen utensils I have - my hands.

I also used a spoon.

Make sure you save the seeds...I'll share how to make roasted pumpkin seeds next.

I then cut the halves in half again.

Now it's time to roast the pumpkin.  Lay the quartered pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork tender.  (I didn't use any oil or butter on the pumpkin because I wanted to make pure pumpkin puree.)

Let the roasted pumpkin cool slightly, until you can touch it without burning yourself.

First, with a fork, I removed any slimy stuff that I didn't get before...it's the brown stuff shown in the picture.

At this point, the pumpkin should remove easily from the skin.  Using a spoon, pull the goodness away from the skin.  

Now let's puree it.

Put a few chunks at a time into a food processor.  

I know, I know...it looks gross.  But, you're gonna have to trust me. 

Pulse it until smooth.

Put the puree into a bowl.

Do another batch of chunks in the food processor.

Put all the puree into the same bowl.

See...doesn't it look so pretty (and healthy)?

You can use this immediately in recipes just like you would a store bought can of pumpkin.

Or you can freeze it for later use.

Or you could home can it for later use.

I chose to freeze mine.  I got 3 cups out of this pumpkin.  

After it cooled slightly, I put two cups in a freezer bag because that is how much I will need to make a pie.  I put the one cup in another freezer bag.

Seeing how this will be my first time making a pie with my own homemade pumpkin puree, wish me luck...  I'll let you know how it turns out.