How to make Pumpkin Puree

or What to do with your uncarved Halloween Pumpkin!

There are sweet pumpkins especially developed for making pies, but I use the ones that my local grocery store sells in October.

Knock off the stem. Cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy insides. Rinse the seeds for roasting later. See below.

Slice the scraped pumpkin into large pieces that will fit onto a jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with a lip.  Place them pulp side down. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for an hour. The pumpkin will be soft to the touch when done. Let it cool.

Peel the skin off which should be very easy. Take a handful of pumpkin at a time and pulse it in a blender until it's creamy, smooth.

Fill containers that are big enough to hold the amount of the puree you'll be using at one time. A pumpkin pie will need 2 cups which a 3lb pumpkin should yield. The puree will be well preserved for several months in the freezer.

Toss the rinsed pumpkin seeds in a bowl with olive oil to lightly cover and garlic salt. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. The edges will be golden brown when done.

Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A & C. Potassium. Beta-carotene and antioxidants.

But most of all they taste great. As Alton Brown would say, "they're Good Eats!"