How to make pumpkin puree.

Fall is here, and that means pumpkin is coming back in season. Harvested in September and October, pumpkins are an autumn favorite for Americans. In fact, the U.S. is one of the top producers of pumpkins in the world. Sweet, orange-fleshed pumpkins occupy a place on the hall table in many homes this time of year. Pumpkin has a range of fantastic health benefits, including being one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene. You can now eat pumpkin in all forms. There are myriad ways to indulge in the fall favorite: pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pie, creamy pumpkin soup, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bread or muffins…

But pumpkins also offer a lot of benefits to our skin: help promote cell “turnover” or regrowth, smoothing skin, brighten skin, high in fatty acids and vitamin E.

We can use this wonderful “source of beauty” all year around, you just need to prepare pumpkin purée and freeze it! 

How to make pumpkin puree: 

 

 Rinse the pumpkin under cold water and cut in half.

Use a spoon to scrape the stringy fibers and the seeds out of each half.  Discard fibers and save seeds for toasting, if desired (they are edible and nutritious too).

Once the seeds are removed and the inside of the pumpkin is clean, the skin still needs to be removed.

But peeling pumpkin is hard. Recently, I’ve found some trick for that.

Place half of pumpkin cut side down on a microwave safe dish with a little water in it. 

Microwave your pumpkin until tender. The timing varies, depending on the size of your pumpkin. I cooked on HIGH about 15 minutes.

Remove pumpkin from the microwave when it’s ready. Allow to cool slightly to the touch.

 

 Then scrape out the tender flesh with a spoon; discard rind.

 Process the pumpkin pieces/scoops in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Some pumpkin, depending on the batch, can be dry; you can add a little water during the pulsing. 

 Now you have nice pumpkin puree! You can either use this immediately in whatever recipe you’d like…or you can store it in the freezer.

I’m going to make face mask tomorrow. So, I place some amount of puree in refrigerator.

But mostly all batch of this I will freeze for future use.

I spoon 1 to 2 cup portions of pumpkin into each zip-lock freezer bag. Use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air.

 Label contents, date and quantity, and store in freezer until ready to use. Store it for 6 to 8 months.

Enjoy!

Coming soon: Handmade pumpkin face masks recipes... 

You can read also: 

Pumpkins season! Benefits of Pumpkin Skin Care Products.