One Frugal Thing -- Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Remember when I pulled a fancy uncut pumpkin from our shared yard debris bin? Well, yesterday was the day for action, as it was taking up too much real estate.
Look at how pretty the flesh is, a richer orange than a traditional Halloween pumpkin. Also, I'm going to get some flack here, but I really don't like roasted pumpkin seeds, so those went straight into the compost. It's something about the texture.
So even though I'm committing a frugal travesty with my seed wastage, might I inform you of the cost of high end pumpkin puree:
The process to make your own puree is really quite simple, as it's just a matter of cutting the pumpkin into chunks and roasting them in the oven. Take them out when they're soft enough to easily pierce with a fork.
Let them cool enough to handle, then peel off the rind and give them a whirl in a food processor or blender. This part smells amazing!
Pour the puree into a fabric lined colander to drain out the excess liquid. This step doesn't take too long, maybe half an hour or so.
Lastly you scoop the puree into freezer bags. I do two-cup portions, which seems to be the standard amount for most recipes.
Note that I use a canning jar lifter to hold open the freezer bags -- works a charm! I know they sell gizmos for this exact purpose, but I love this hack as it utilizes something I already own!
I ended up with a tad more than eight cups of puree, which now sit in my freezer ready for future pies, pumpkin bread, scones, pancakes or whatnot.
I still have one more pumpkin to process, and maybe I'll get to that today as it's the perfect rainy day activity. Plus it's a bigger pumpkin and is dramatically taking up waaay too much space on my kitchen counter!
Have you ever baked up a Halloween pumpkins? They're all edible!
I really dislike the taste of home-roasted pumpkin seeds, too, but I do love the pepitas sold in stores.
Thanks for the new-to-me tips for straining the liquid and holding open the freezer bags!
I have used my Halloween pumpkins for years to make pumpkin puree. It seems a shame to throw away perfectly good food so during the fall season they act as decorations and lend beautiful color to my porch, after that they revert back to food. One of my favorite recipes is a Pumpkin Stew with black beans and corn. It is perfect for chilly fall days and it freezes well, too. It uses the pumpkin raw and cut into cubes.
I haven’t roasted a large carving type pumpkin before but I do roast the sugar pie pumpkins and a lot of butternut squash since those seem to come in my produce box every week. I have a pumpkin bread recipe I make just about every week so the purée gets used quickly.
My one frugal thing is that my sister gave me a coat that no longer fit her. It’s been colder than usual here lately and my regular winter coat wasn’t cutting it. I mentioned it to my sister and she said she had a long (knee length) down jacket from when she lived on the east coast (so made for snowy weather) that no longer fit her. I was happy to take it, it would normally cost about $200! I told her not to get me a Christmas present as that was already the perfect gift.
I've never cooked our decorative pumpkins. I keep thinking I should, but then I just don't... LOL
My husband received very generous gifts at his work from customers, $75 in gift cards to a restaurant and $20 in cash. We split the gift cards up and put them in the kids' stockings, as that is not a restaurant we are likely to visit. I received a $20 gift card to Wal-Mart from coworkers, and that will go in another stocking.
I like to give my coworkers a small token every year for Christmas, and I usually try to make it. There are 9-10 people (we are down one right now), so it can add up. I used up some stash and made bowl cozies this year. But I waited until the absolute last day, and I had never made these before, so I got a mini mental breakdown thrown in for freeeeee. Thankfully, my hubby knows how to calm me down. He came to my sewing machine and said, "just tell me how to do it, and I'll make them for you." That encouraged me enough to do it myself. LOL
We had the kiddos over for dinner on Saturday night, then played cards. Our granddaughter was the star of the evening, and honestly we all spent more time admiring her than anything else.
I bake pumpkins every fall that I get very cheap after Halloween. But J am too lazy to make purée so I just cut them up and roast them ( and the seeds… lol) and use them in soups or just as a baked side dish. Cheap vitamin A and good for you!!
Yum. I'm imagining all the baked goods you'll make.
1. I made a lasagna and took it to my MIL'S house. It fed her, myself and my kids with leftovers to share. It's not the cheapest meal to make but it feeds a lot of people and so much better than restaurant lasagna in flavor and price.