make your own pumpkin purée (and skip the canned version)!
You know what they say…
You can never talk too much about pumpkins before Halloween.
Ok, so no one actually says that (I’m pretty sure), but it sounds accurate to me.
Which is why I’m here to talk about pumpkins...🙃
You’ve heard me talk about them before in my pumpkin spice smoothie post & after we’re done with this post, I have one more coming for ya!
Today’s pumpkin topic is a good one if you love pumpkin, but maybe can’t find the organic canned version currently (like me!) or you want to test your DIY spirit👻! So let’s get into this!
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN PURÉE (AND SKIP THE CAN!)
What you’ll need:
A medium to large organic pumpkin (try to always get organic when you can)
A large cookie sheet
A bit of oil (I use an olive-avocado blend or purely avo oil)
A chef’s knife & large spoon
Prep steps:
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Slice your pumpkin in half, top to bottom.
Deseed with your large spoon (note: save the seeds for roasting!)
Sprinkle cut-side of pumpkin with a bit of oil, then rub to cover all of the flesh.
Place cut-side down on baking tray & place in oven.
Bake for 15 mins, check, then back in for another 15 mins (note: if your pumpkin is larger, try starting at 20 mins instead).
Remove from oven and check tenderness of flesh by poking with a fork. If it pokes easily, it’s cooked & if not, then place in oven again & keep checking until tender (maybe another 5-10 mins).
Once cooked, allow to cool for a bit on the counter.
Scoop baked pumpkin out and into a bowl.
Mash with a fork or for TRUE pumpkin purée, place in a blender and blend until smooth. You might need to use the tamper (if you’re using a Vitamix) and move around in all four corners of the blender to make it a true purée.
And that’s it! You’re done! And like I said, you can use it in my delicious pumpkin spice smoothie or… wait for it… a homemade pumpkin spice latte (PSL, anyone?!?!) because that’s what this latte should include—actual pumpkin (not artificial wannabe flavorings that are harming your health). So stay tuned for that next pumpkin post coming up VERY soon!!
Happy Pumpkin Season!!
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
