Homemade Pumpkin Purée

1. Using a long sharp knife, cut your pumpkin in half horizontally.
2. The outside of my pumpkin was very tough, so I used the stab and saw technique. A serrated knife or a hand saw can also be employed. Use whatever works for you and allows all your fingers to stay attached.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F (200 C) with a rack in the center of the oven.
4. Scoop out the guts of the pumpkin, putting the seeds aside to toast later. You don't want to miss out on those!
5. Lay the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on the rimmed baking sheet. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the halves and gently turn it under at the edges to secure it.
6. Bake the pumpkin for about 90 minutes. If it's a smaller pumpkin, it won't take as long. When it's done, the skin should yield to gentle pressure and the flesh should be soft.
7. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow it to cool till it's just warm.
8. Scoop out the flesh using a broad spoon (often the skin will peel right off) and put it into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the pulp till it's smooth and even-textured. If you prefer, you can use an immersion blender for this step.
9. You could use your purée right away, but I like to put it in a strainer to drain off some of the liquid. (Save the liquid and use it in breads, muffins, or pancakes!). You could put it in cheesecloth or a coffee filter, but I just put mine straight in the fine sieve and it wasn't a problem.

Storing your pumpkin purée

1. To save it for later use, the easiest method is to put a pre-measured amount into a zip-loc bag or a freezer-safe container. Label it with the date, the contents, and the amount, then pop it into the freezer.
2. You can also freeze the purée in glass canning jars; just be sure to leave a good inch of headspace to allow for expansion when it freezes.