Holiday Deals and More may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
Read our full disclosure policy here.
As an Amazon Associate, Holiday Deals and More earns a small commission from qualifying purchases in this post.
Making your own Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. Checkout the Video below, and please Like and Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel.
Our family has made our own Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Seeds for years, and it is an anticipated treat during the fall and winter months. Once you see how easy it is to make and how tasty they both are, we think this will become an annual tradition for your family too.
If you have never done this before, we suggest starting small with one large pumpkin or two small ones. If you take on too many, this process can become a chore.
As a general rule, fresh baking pumpkins yield approximately 1 cup of puree per pumpkin, and seed yield varies from pumpkin to pumpkin.
*** What you will need ***
- Pumpkins. Although most say Pie Pumpkins taste better, we have used large Carving Pumpkins before and still loved the results.
- Food Processor or Blender
- Large Baking Dish or Sheet Pan. Large enough to fit halved pumpkins on, but they can touch and lean against one another. The sides of the dish should be high enough to contain a small amount of water.
- A pumpkin scraper (a metal spoon or ice cream scoop will work too)
- Strainer or Colander, a Flour Sack or Thin Towel, and Bowls
- Storage Containers
*** Pumpkin Puree ***
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Rinse the pumpkins and dry well. We use Veggie Wash to remove wax, pesticides and soil.
- Cut the pumpkins in half. Make sure to be careful during this process. You can place the pumpkin on a towel to help keep it more stable. Also, the pumpkins can be cut either vertically or horizontally (whichever is easier for you)
- Using a pumpkin scraper, spoon or scoop, scrape out stringy fibers and seeds from inside the pumpkin halves. Set aside the seeds and fibrous material in a bowl.
- Place the pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet, along with a 1/4 cup of water, and roast in the oven until they are fork tender (approximately 45 to 60 minutes).
- While the pumpkin is roasting, fill a bowl halfway with water and begin separating the pumpkin seeds from the fibrous strings and place the seeds in the bowl with water. Discard the fibrous strings along with any seeds that are flattened or discolored.
- Once the seeds are separated, pour them into a strainer or colander, wash away any residual pulp or fibrous strings, and shake off any excess water.
- Pour the cleaned pumpkin seeds onto paper towels and allow to dry.
- Once the pumpkin is finished roasting, remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle with a towel.
- While still warm, remove the tender pulp from the pumpkin skin by scraping the skins with a scoop or spoon. Be careful handling the pumpkin. You may need to use a towel or oven mitts due to the heat.
- Place the separated pumpkin pulp into food processor and puree until the pulp is the consistency of baby food. You may need to add water (1 TBSP at a time) to help loosen the mix. Scrape the side of the processor several times to ensure all the pulp is mixed well.
- Strain the pumpkin puree in a flour sack or thin towel and squeeze out any excessive liquid.
You can use the puree in a recipe immediately or place it in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
*** Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ***
- Preheat Oven to 300°F
- Remove the dried pumpkin seeds from the paper towels and spread evenly onto a baking sheet.
- Cut butter into small pieces and place over the seeds, and then sprinkle with salt. We use approximately 1 TBSP of butter and 1 TSP of salt for every 2 Cups of pumpkin seeds.
- Place the seeds in the oven and stir every 15 minutes until the seeds are golden brown (approximately 45 minutes).
- Allow the seeds to cool and eat immediately or store in an air-tight container.
ENJOY!
