Homemade pumpkin purƩe is easy to make. The better your pumpkin (or squash), the better your pie (or pumpkin bread, etc.) will be. Smaller pie pumpkins generally have sweeter flesh, and many varieties of winter squash make excellent sweet purƩes.
According to Amy Goldman, author of The Compleat Squash, the Cucurbita pepo variety known as āWinter Luxury Pieā makes a smooth and velvety pumpkin custard. āWhen cut into a wedge on a plate, it holds its shape, color and flavor long after the competition has keeled over and died,ā she says.
IngredientsĀ
1 whole pie pumpkinĀ
InstructionsĀ
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife, hack the pumpkin into several large pieces. Donāt bother removing the seeds, because baking the pumpkin will make them easier to remove later. Place the pieces on a jellyroll pan cut-side down. Bake for 30 minutes to an hour. Youāll know the pumpkin is ready when its flesh pierces easily and has begun to slouch.
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We've always steamed pumpkin before pureeing and freezing. Would roasting improve its flavor?