Glass of Win

My two favorite things: black cats & pumpkins!

What is more pumpkin-tastic around this time of year than roasted pumpkin seeds and your very own homemade pumpkin puree for a pie or other pumpkin-related dessert? It is SO easy to do, I promise you, that you will never want to grab that canned pumpkin again (unless it’s for a baking emergency, of course!). I am not actually against the canned pumpkin because I have been able to make many wonderfully delicious pumpkin goodies with it, so long as I know how to spice it up. However, I do not think anything can compare to the real McPumpkin, if you will, and when opportunity opens a period of time for you to devote to making pumpkin puree, I’d go for it.

Pumpkin Puree:

Firstly, make sure you are using a sugar or pie pumpkin. Do not use your run-of-the-mill jack-o-lantern pumpkin. There is a difference! Sugar/baking/pie pumpkins tend to be smaller and rounder. There is typically a sticker on them indicating what kind of pumpkin it is, but ask your friendly produce person if you are unsure. I purchased an organic sugar pumpkin from Whole Foods Market.

I forgot to take a pic of mine, but here is an example

Cut your pumpkin in half, across its middle like so:

Scoop out the seeds and place them in a bowl. We’ll be using them later!

Using a metal spoon or ice cream scoop, scrap out and discard as much of the stringy fibers as you can. I would periodically run my pumpkins under warm water to help wash out the stubborn hairs. This is easily the most time-consuming, messy and annoying part of the process.

In a roasting pan, place your pumpkin halves cut side down and add 1 cup of water. Bake the pumpkin until extremely tender at 350 degrees (F), about 90 minutes.

When the pumpkin is done, peel off the outer flesh & stem or scoop out the innards and place in a food processor. Process until puree.

Season your puree (if you want) and store in an air-tight container for future use. I recycled this plastic container from a recent take-out order and after seasoning my pumpkin with pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cinnamon, I put it in the container and in the freezer. It’s going to chill out there until Thanksgiving, when I will make my pumpkin bread pudding!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Wash your seeds, make sure to remove all of that pumpkin slime off of them. Let it sit in the strainer and dry off just a bit. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray, add a touch of seasoning of your choice (I used sea salt) at the bottom, then spread your pumpkin seeds out in a single layer. Add a top seasoning (more sea salt, and itty bitty dollops of butter & a touch of cinnamon).

Bake at a fairly low temp. (I used 300F, but my oven runs cold) for as long as your seeds need – each oven is different and the temperament of the oven will really determine when they’re done. WATCH your seeds, check on them every 10-15 minutes, giving the pan a good shake/stir if need be. Remove when the seeds turn golden. Let them cool, eat and enjoy!

Those were tasty!

I will never go back to store bought pumpkin seeds after this! These are perfect for a late movie night or to make into Halloween party favors or just a snack to munch throughout Autumn.