How to Make Pumpkin Puree In A Conventional Oven

by Texas Homesteader ~
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There are several recipes I love that use pumpkin puree. So to provide that ingredient myself, I like to grow sugar pie pumpkins in my garden. But how do you use a traditional oven to make puree? Well I’m so glad you asked.

(Note: Some links in this post are for further information from earlier posts I’ve written. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click them and buy something (almost anything, not just the item noted) I could receive a small purchase. But the price you pay will NOT change. It’s an easy way to support this blog without anything coming out of your pocket. So click often! Thank you!)

Growing Pumpkin In A Three Sister’s Garden

Almost every year I’m planting the native American Indian’s symbiotic garden called the ‘Three Sisters Garden‘.

In their 3 sisters garden garden they started by planting corn – a staple in their diet. But it was also a heavy nitrogen feeder from the soil.

So at the base of the corn plants they planted green beans to help replenish the nitrogen in the soil. The corn repaid the bean’s care by giving them a hearty stalk to climb upon to support the bean plant.

Then squash was planted between the corn plants. The squash benefited from the additional nitrogen as well, plus the large leaves of the squash vine would cover the soil to protect them from the hot summer temps, preserve moisture and act as a Living Mulch for the beans and corn. All three plants benefiting each other. Love it!

Using Home-Grown Pumkin

This year I planted heirloom Sugar-Pie Pumpkins for the squash requirement of my Three Sisters Garden. I like to use the pumpkin puree for my favorite homemade Pumpkin Granola.

Aaaahhhh… nothing quite says “Fall is finally HERE!” like pumpkin #amiright? I have several pumpkins that are now ready to come off the vine so I’ll be cooking them up into pumpkin puree.

Option #1: Cooking Pumpkin In A Conventional Oven

I’m cooking up my heirloom Sugar Pie Pumpkin today for that delicious organic pumpkin puree I crave. Making pumpkin puree is very easy.

To cook that garden pumpkin in a conventional oven, simply cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center and place the pumpkin cut-side down on a baking dish with about a cup or two water added. The water and the pumpkin placed cut-side down will help steam the pumpkin.

Set the oven on 350 degrees and let cook until fork tender (about 45 minutes.)

Option #2: Cooking Pumpkin Outside

The steps for cooking your pumpkin in a solar oven instead of a conventional oven are much the same. You still cut the pumpkin in half, (more if your cooking pot is smaller) and scoop out the seeds

Then you place your cut pumpkin flesh down in a pan abnd add just a touch of water. Finally just place the lid on the pan to allow the pumpkin to steam as it’s cooking and place it into the *Solar Oven.

Making Pumpkin Puree

When the pumpkin is cooked soft, bring it out of the oven and let it cool. Then scrape the cooked pumpkin from the shell into a large bowl, leaving the dark orange rind for your compost.

I like to let the pumpkin further cool a bit in the bowl & then pour off the excess liquid.

Then I use my stick blender to blend the cooked pumpkin into pumpkiny goodness. I use my large *silicone muffin pan to freeze the puree in 1-cup increments.

The silicone makes it easy to pop these 1-cup frozen disks out. Then I place them in a freezer bag, being sure to label the contents. I just pop it into the freezer until I need it.

Pumpkin Puree For Granola

When I’m in the mood to make my granola I pull out 2 frozen disks and let them thaw in the fridge overnight.

Then the next morning I use that pumpkin puree to make my pumpkin granola.

Storage Option: Dehydrating Pumpkin Puree

ALSO, I’ve become totally enamored with dehydrating pumpkin puree instead of freezing it! No more room taken up in the freezer or trying to get a chunk of pumpkin puree to thaw.

I simply measure out my dehydrated pumpkin puree and add hot water. It quickly rehydrates the Pumpkin puree! And it looks great in pretty glass jars in my pantry too.

~TxH~

Links Included In This Post:

35 thoughts on “How to Make Pumpkin Puree In A Conventional Oven”

Heather Ramos at

Visiting you from the Christian Blogger Community linky party! Thanks for the awesome post and chance to win seeds 🙂 I am a bit of a Pumpkin addict and while I’ve attempted to puree myself in the past – I never thought of freezing them in one cup increments! I actually pureed and put them in freezer bags last time, which was a bit harder once it stuck to the bag :/ Going to try this again this year but with your muffin tin tip! Have a blessed day and good luck to all who enter 🙂

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  The silicon muffin pan makes removing the frozen disks super easy, Heather. I’d think a standard metal one would not be as easy since it doesn’t flex. Freezing them in a silicon muffin pan and popping the frozen disks into a freezer bag works well for me. ~TxH~
  
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Cynthia F at

Gotta admit, my favorite garden veggies, tomatoes and peppers (kale and swiss chard favs too); I buy small plants at my local nursery. This year I tried San Marzano tomatoes – OMG, meaty and great flavor. I think I’m hooked!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  OMGosh Cynthia – San Marzano tomatoes ROCK! They’re planted every year in our garden. They outproduce by far any other tomato. ~TxH~
  
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Michelle at

I’m a huge fan of all things pumpkin!! Would love to try your Sugar-Pie pumpkins on our homestead next year! Thanks! (Nice to have “met” you at the Christian Blogger Link up.)

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Heather at

I found your blog on the link up from Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth. I have looked at a few posts and enjoyed them! I am commenting about my favorite garden vegetable, I think it would have to be cucumbers and green beans. This was our first year to grow pumpkins! So perfect timing on the pumpkin puree blog!!!! My children are all excited to make something out of our two, yes two pie pumpkins! Thanks for the post!! Maybe next year we will get a few more! . Thank you for your time and the give away!!! May God bless you.

Heather S.

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Keeper At The Homestead at

This is such a nice offer!! I love heriloom plants! It’s amazing how God designed things to reproduce after their kind. I think my favorite plant is tomatoes. They’re so versatile.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I’m a big fan of tomatoes too. It’s hard to beat a home-grown tomato fresh from the garden. ~TxH~
  
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Mickey Louth at

For fresh eating, swiss chard has always been my ‘have to plant’ veggie. As I age, I need something I can enjoy all year so I try to get in tomatoes and peppers…canned, dehydrated, frozen….you can do so much with them!

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Sharon D. at

Hello, I just found your blog and am looking forward to catching up 🙂 Thank you for the opportunity to win some Sugar Pie Pumpkin seeds. I have not grown that variety yet, so far only Cinderella and Connecticut Fields pumpkins. I love to puree it and use it for the obvious :), in chili and stuffed shells and we have used it for our dog when she needed to lose weight 🙂

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Michelle at

One of our favorite things are zucchini and yellow squash, but we love many more other vegetables that we grow. The last few years we haven’t had good results with pumpkins, but we were planning to get new seed and try again next year.

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CookieD-oh at

I love making pumpkin puree! Thanks for the great tip about freezing! So much better than how I do it! #sustainablesundays

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Just pulled a couple of 1-cup frozen disks from the freezer, thawed and whipped up my favorite pumpkin granola yesterday. 🙂 ~TxH~
  
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Michelle at

I’m a sucker for roasted pumpkin seeds. I look forward to trying something new….actually using the pumpkin for purée!
Thanks!
Michelle

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Michelle at

Yummy, I think I need make me some of this pumpkin puree and I’m really intrigued by your solar oven. I’d love to know more

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Michelle, I really enjoy my solar oven. Although I can and do cook with it in the winter months, it’s a lifesaver during the summer months. My conventional oven pumps so much heat into my kitchen that I really hate to fire it up in the summer months – solar oven to the rescue! ~TxH~
  
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Vanessa at

This is the awesome. Your pumpkins look big. Are you using the big ones our the pie size pumpkins? I love this idea and how you freeze it afterward. Awesome and I am pinning to do this for sure. I use a lot of pumpkin through out the year. Thank you for sharing your tips and for the seeds. Woo Hoo!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  These are not the larger jack-o-lantern sized pumpkins, but they’re pretty large for the smaller pie-pumpkins you typically see. T’was a great year in the garden this year. 🙂 ~TxH~
  
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Carla at

Never tasted a sugar pie pumpkin, although my daughter-in-law and I always get pumpkins and make our own puree for pie. Never thought of freezing it. Definitely going to try it.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  There’s a distinct difference in jack-o-lantern type pumpkins and pie pumpkins, Carla. The smaller pie pumpkins are much more intensely flavored. This heirloom Sugar-Pie Pumpkin is the only kind I plant in my garden and I plant them every year. When I harvest them I enjoy them inside as decorations for a short while and then cook, puree and freeze them to use all winter long. ~TxH~
  
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Samantha @ Florassippi Girl at

This is exactly how I make my pumpkin puree – but I’ve never tasted a sugar pie pumpkin. Are they really that much different? Would love to win the seeds so I could taste and see. Thanks for offering them.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I think different varieties of pumpkins may be slightly different flavored Samantha, but I find this Sugar Pie Pumpkin to be a little stronger pumpkin flavored than others I’ve tried. It’s the only one I plant, and I plant ’em every year. ~TxH~
  
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keikoc at

I’m a big fan of cherry tomatoes and basil. It’s 2/3rds of a bruschetta plate, plus some olive oil, balsamic, and ground salt and pepper!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  My basil is going crazy right now keikoc. I’ve been primarily drying it and using it in my mix-n-pour tortillas when I make a tomato/basil flavored batch. It’s especially delicious used as a wrap. YUM! Any time you can use goodness from the garden to feed your family it’s a winner. ~TxH~
  
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Evelyn H. at

Really enjoy your blog. In Texas, so I have to have some jalapenos; then comes heirloom tomatoes.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I hear ya on the jalapenos Evelyn! And I’ve always been fond of San Marzano heirloom tomatoes – a roma-style paste tomato that outproduces any other tomato I’ve ever planted. This year I tried a round slicing heirloom called Mariglobe and OH MY – the taste cannot be matched! I’ll be planting those every year too. ~TxH~
  
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Eileem at

I’m really enjoying your posts. How will you save your seeds? Simply wash and let air dry? Obviously I haven’t done that part yet. I planted tomatillos this year. Wow are they happy! I’ve made different salsas and tried a fermented salsa that is a big hit as well.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  The seeds were removed and washed Eileem. Then I spread them out to dry. It’s always worked well for me. I’ve planted tomatillos a couple of times & haven’t been successful, I’m jealous! Good luck with the contest! ~TxH~
  
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Katy Lamb at

I’m having a hard time picking my favorite vegetable to grow. I guess we use tomatoes for more things to eat so I’ll have to say them. But honestly, any vegetable is a joy to plant!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  “…any vegetable is a joy to plant” – Love that Katy and so true! ~TxH~
  
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One of God's at

Thank you for spreading seeds of the delicious sugar pumpkin.Hope to win.

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Miss B at

Good morning! This is good info. I have a question for you. You have mentioned your solar oven several times in various posts, but I’m not sure if you’ve ever written a full post just about the solar oven. I am totally unfamiliar with those. Could you please direct me to the link if you have? If not, could you please tell us all about it? I’m intrigued!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  There’s a live solar-cooking school coming here to the blog Miss B! It’s in the workings now with the solar oven manufacturer and will be hosted right here on the TMH Blog. Be sure you’re subscribed to the blog by clicking the email icon on the right-hand side bar under the FOLLOW US section. That way you’ll get an email each time a new blog post goes live & you won’t miss this solar cooking tutorial! ~TxH~
  
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  1. Miss B at
    
    Ha! Great minds think alike, right? I do receive your posts in my Inbox, so I’m sure I’ll be notified when you post that one. I can hardly wait!
    
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ColleenB.~Texas at

First, Thank you for this great giveaway opportunity. The other day I just took out some of my frozen puree which I done last year and made Chocolate chip, pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
My favorite veggie would have to be green beans and tomatoes.

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