Thick Caramelized Homemade Pumpkin Purée. Use it for a wide variety of recipes including Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Carrot Cake, Muffins, Lattes, Soups, etc… You get quite a bit from one Pumpkin and the addition of Pumpkin Juice & Seeds too. The Purée can be portioned into Ziploc bags and frozen until needed.
Since this is something that I use for a few Recipes. I don’t season the purée at all. I reserve that for whatever dishes the Purée is being used for.
Pumpkin
Use a small to medium Pumpkin, as the big ones or the ones used for carving are too big and fibrous. From an entire Pumpkin we will get the following;
- Caramelized Pumpkin Purée
- Pumpkin Juice
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
The real trick is using the pumpkin skin rich in orange pigment alongside the puree for added color. When you return this to the oven to caramelize, you naturally enhance both the color and flavor.
Preparing the Pumpkin
Wash the Pumpkin well and Dry. Slice the Pumpkin in half, scooping out the membrane and seeds. Chop off the stem and bottom root piece. Then Chop the Pumpkin into manageable pieces that can fit into the blender after the first cook. I usually cut into strips.
How to cook Pumpkin for Pumpkin Puree
Once the pumpkin is cleaned out with seeds removed and chopped into manageable pieces. Place skin side up in a large Casserole and into a preheated oven at 400 F for 45 minutes to an hour. Until the Pumpkin is soft so that it can be puréed with ease. You can check this by piercing it.
There will be juices on the bottom of the pan. Drain into a bowl that will be used to collect additional pumpkin juices when straining.
Pumpkin Puree
Blend the roasted Pumpkin Pieces, skin on, in batches. Blend for a while and check the size of the Skin pieces. If it is in small pieces, you’re good. If not, keep blending. From here the Purée can be used in any number of ways depending on what you are after;
- Loose Pumpkin purée: Fresh, mild flavor, versatile for sweet and savory recipes.
- Medium or Strained Pumpkin purée: Thicker, concentrated flavor, ideal for filling and sauces requiring stability.
- Caramelized or Thick Pumpkin purée: Rich, sweet flavor from caramelization, enhances savory and sweet dishes where depth is desired.
Loose Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree is made by cooking and blending pumpkin until smooth. It retains moisture and has a fresh, mild pumpkin flavor. It uses may include;
- Baking: Perfect for recipes like muffins, breads, and pancakes. Not ideal for Pumpkin pie.
- Soups: Works well in creamy pumpkin soups and stews.
- Sauces: Can be added to pasta sauces or used as a base for dips.
- Smoothies: Blends smoothly into smoothies for added nutrition.
Medium Pumpkin Puree
Strained pumpkin puree is made by blending pumpkin and then passing it through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. This results in a thicker, smoother puree with a more concentrated flavor. Its uses may include;
- Pumpkin Pie or Tart Filling: Its thick consistency is ideal for pies and tarts, preventing the filling from being too watery.
- Ravioli or Gnocchi Filling: Great for stuffing pasta, as it holds together well.
- Sauces and Spreads: Use in richer sauces or spreads where a thicker texture is desired, such as pumpkin butter or gourmet dips.
- Custards and Puddings: Works well in desserts like custards, where a stable consistency is needed.
Save the juices, as you can use them to dilute the pumpkin puree in certain recipes or incorporate them into drinks, sauces, soups, stews, and when cooking grains
Carmelized Pumpkin Puree
Caramelized pumpkin puree is made by baking (or roasting) the puree until it develops a deep, rich, and slightly sweet flavor through caramelization. I also find this more ideal for Pumpkin Pie, being the same thickness as canned pumpkin puree or slightly wetter. It can be strained again to get a pumpkin paste. The process enhances the natural sugars in the pumpkin. Its uses may include;
- Savory Dishes: Excellent for savory dishes like risottos, where the caramelization adds depth and complexity.
- Desserts: Perfect for desserts like cheesecakes, brownies, or tarts, as it adds a unique flavor that complements chocolate or cream.
- Glazes or Sauces: Can be turned into a glaze for meats or vegetables, or drizzled over roasted dishes for added sweetness and flavor.
- Pumpkin Spread or Butter: Use as a spread for toast, pancakes, or crostini, providing a sweet and flavorful topping.
How to Caramelize Pumpkin Puree
Once you have all of your Puree. Drain the Juices from the casserole into a separate bowl and empty the Puree back into the casserole dish. Continue to cook at 400 F until thickened. This will evaporate excess water and concentrate the Flavors & deepen the Color. Cook until desired thickness, then remove from the oven and let cool.
The time this takes depends on how fresh your Pumpkin is and how thick you want the Puree, anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. The more fresh your Pumpkin, the more juices it will contain. Optionally, you can strain out any juices that you can, before placing back into the oven to caramelize. This will reduce the cooking time.
Pumpkin Puree
The first cook will make a Puree with lots of water content.
Caramelized Pumpkin Puree
To remove the excess water and get a consistency like Canned Pumpkin Puree. It is placed back into the oven to caramelize and cook until the desired thickness. Mix it around occasionally.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds are a great snack and touts some major health benefits as well. Plus, there are just so many ways these can be flavored.
Washing Pumpkin Seeds
Wash the Pumpkin Seeds to remove large pieces of membrane and then place into a Pot with 4 Cups of water and 1 Tbl of Sea Salt.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
Dry Overnight
After simmering for 5 minutes. Strain and place into the screen or rack to set aside. Let them dry overnight.
Toss with Neutral Oil and roast until crisp at 400 F. At the last minute, season with any seasoning desired, toss and bake for a few minutes. Set aside to cool and enjoy.
Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Seeds
These Pumpkin Seeds were tossed in a couple Tbl of Garlic Sauce. Baked at 400 F for 5 minutes, tossed, 3 minutes, and tossed again. Then 2 minutes and tossed again and then baked another 1 minute.
About 10 – 12 minutes. Bake longer if a darker color is desired.
If using Seasoning. Just coat the Pumpkin seeds in Oil and bake. Add the seasoning at the last minute or two.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with warming Spices
Toss the pumpkin seeds in a couple of tablespoons of fat, then bake at 400F for about 10 minutes, tossing frequently. In the last minute, season them to taste with the warming spice blend below.
- 1 tsp each of Black Pepper, Butter Popcorn seasoning, Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp each of Cinnamon, Clove, Mace, Ginger
Pumpkin Juice
How much you get depends on how fresh your Pumpkin is. Pumpkins that are picked up in October and used 3 months later will yield very little juice.
Collect the pumpkin juice from cooking and straining the pulp. You can use it to adjust the consistency of the puree or portion it into Ziploc bags or ice cube trays and freeze it for later use.
Pumpkin Juice
Save any Juices from cooking the Pumpkins as well as when straining into a bowl.
Pumpkin Paste
The Pumpkin pulp is the meat of it all. After the Pumpkin has been cooked the second time for caramelization, color & flavor. Place the Puree into a cheesecloth and string up to drain for a few hours. I leave it overnight. After it is not dripping anymore, gently squeeze to extract even more juices out from the pulp.
This is your Thick Pumpkin Puree, just like you get from the can, but with better flavors as it is extremely fresh. Plus more of it and Pumpkin Juice & Seeds to boot. Which have numerous health benefits and should be enjoyed, at least once every fall.
Pumpkin Puree Consistency
Straining out the Pumpkin Puree after it has caramelized is optional. But will yield you a thicker Paste, much like the canned versions. Depending on the recipe you plan on using it for. Add some Pumpkin Juice back into the Puree if needed to thin it out. Else, use it thick for things like Pumpkin Pie.
Thick Pumpkin Puree
This has been puréed, caramelized and strained for a Thick Pumpkin Puree.
How to Store Pumpkin Puree
Place both the Puree & Juices into separate airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. For longer storage, portion and place into Ziploc bags to freeze for up to 1 year. Optionally freeze into Ice Cube trays and once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.
Equipment
- 1 Blender or Food Processor
- 1 Cheesecloth
- 1 Large Casserole
- 1 Screen or Rack for the seeds
- 2 Bowls one for the Pumpkin Juices and the other for the Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 large Pumpkin
Pumpkin Seeds
- 4 C Water
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash well the exterior of the Pumpkin and Dry. Cut in half, chopping off the Stem and Bottom Stem piece. Scoop the Seeds and Membrane out and place into a bowl.
- Chop the Pumpkin into manageable pieces that can later be thrown into the blender. Lay them out skin side up in a casserole dish, you can stack them on top. Place into the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, Until soft when pierced. Let cool. Remove any charred pieces if present.
- Purée the Pumpkin pieces in batches, looking at the pieces of the skin will tell you how fine it is. Keep blending until they are in small pieces. Repeat until all pieces are puréed.Strain the cooking Juices in the Casserole Dish into a bowl that you will later use to catch all the juices extracted when straining the Pumpkin Purée.
- Empty the Pumpkin Purée back into the casserole dish and place into the oven at 400 F to caramelize and thicken to the desired consistency. This will evaporate excess water and concentrate the Flavors & Color. Set aside to cool.The time this takes depends on the Freshness of the Pumpkin and how thick you want the purée. The more fresh, the more juices and the longer it will take to thicken. Caramelize anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. An optional step is to strain out the Purée before caramelizing to reduce the liquids before going back into the oven, which will reduce the cook time.
- Place the Puréed Pumpkin into a cheesecloth strung up to let drain, with the Bowl of Pumpkin juice underneath to catch the juices. After a few hours or no longer releasing any liquids, gently squeeze well to extract more juice from the pulp.
Pumpkin Seeds
- Place the Seeds and membrane into a bowl of water and remove the Seeds from any large pieces of membrane. Discard the membrane and strain.
- Place the Seeds into a pot with 4 Cups of Water & 1 Tbl of Sea Salt, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and place on a screen or rack. Let dry overnight.
- To Roast, toss the Seeds with a bit of Oil and roast in a preheated oven at 400 F until Crisp & Browned, tossing them around once in a while. The last few minutes add any seasoning you desire and salt depending on if the seasoning already contains salt or not, toss well and cook a few minutes more. Let cool.