It would be a shame if you didn’t make the most of pumpkins, one of the most characteristic fruits of mid-autumn.
Here’s how you can quickly turn a nice, fresh pumpkin into pumpkin puree, a very versatile, healthy and nutritious preparation to serve to babies or to use as filling in pumpkin pies or cakes.
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin (about 1-1.5 kg)
- A pinch of salt
Preparation
Cut the pumpkin in half and remove all seeds.
Place both halves with the rounded side up on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for about 60-70 minutes in the oven heated to 200 degrees.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven, allow to cool slightly and then crush the flesh in a food processor or with a hand blender, adding a pinch of salt while mixing. Strain through gauze or a clean cloth, especially if you plan to the crushed flesh as pie filling to get rid of as much water content as possible.
Pumpkin puree can be served as a healthy side dish instead of mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt and mixed with a little melted butter and milk.
You can also use pumpkin puree to make pumpkin pies and cakes, adding sugar and cinnamon, as well as the rest of the necessary ingredients.
If you have prepared too much pumpkin puree, you can freeze it to have it at hand whenever you decide to make some autumn-evoking delicacy. Pumpkin puree may be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.