Simple Summit: Pumpkin Puree

If you have been around me lately, you have heard my excitement about preparing our first round of pumpkin puree. Followed by roasting pumpkin seeds!

Just today I read a great quote saying "Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go". I don't know who said it originally, but hearing autumn described this way gives it a new meaning to me. I have also heard it being called the spring of fall. For someone who usually hangs on to summer for dear life, I now have found a new way of looking at fall. How precious this time of year is.

And fall gives us so much to look forward to - not only the beautiful autumn colors, the hearty stews and warm lattes, apple picking and pumpkin patches but most of all, fall leads us right into the Holiday season, beginning with Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I know, right?

And before we start panicking too much, let me show you an easy way to prepare pumpkin puree that you can store for use this fall season. I have already used my first cup of prepared puree and am looking forward to the next recipes to use it in.

It is also up to you what type of pumpkin you prefer. Through talking with a close friend of mine, I learned a while back I now rather use the lighter type for cooking, but if you prefer the dark orange jack-o-lantern type pumpkin feel free to roast them. The instructions remain the same.

Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin

some olive oil (if desired)

Instructions

Preheat oven 350 degrees F
Cut the top off the pumpkin - think Jack-O-Lantern here - then half that Baby.
Scoop out the seeds and reserve them if you like to roast them for a delicious and healthy snack later.
Cut the pumpkin into small(er) chunks, almost like you would a watermelon, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet, if you prefer your puree to be as pure as possible.
Bake 45 minutes
After you remove the pumpkin from the oven, let it cool and scoop the inside off the skin. Discard skin and puree the pumpkin in a blender.
Measure 1 cup each for freezing or canning or baking.
Make fresh pumpkin butter with at least one cup of the new puree :)