How to Preserve Pumpkin

I have updated this post and am republishing it as it seems to be a favorite among Practical Savings readers. Plus, we’re right in the middle of pumpkin season which is a great time to pick up extra pumpkins and preserve them. Enjoy!

Preserving Pumpkin

I love having pumpkin on hand. Unfortunately, canning pureed pumpkin is kind of a no-no because it expands and then you end up with broken jars and pureed pumpkin every where. If you do want to preserve pumpkin by canning, you’ll want to can it in chunks. I personally like to freeze it though, as it’s really simple, fairly quick and since I use my FoodSaver,it will last for over a year in the freezer.

Cut your pumpkins in half. Scrape out the seeds and stringy part. I used my Good Cook Pumpkin Scoop but I’ve also used an ice cream scoop.

I save the seeds for roasting. When I’m done cleaning out the pumpkins, I rinse off the seeds and lay them out on a pizza pan to dry before roasting.

Place the cut end of the pumpkins down in a roasting pan or cookie sheet. Add a little water to the pan (make sure to lift the pumpkins a little so the water can flow inside. Place them in the oven and add more water to the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the pumpkin is tender (usually at least 45 minutes, depending on how many and what size you’re cooking).

I used the same scoop to clean out the pumpkins once they were cooked. You can also peel the skin off if they’re cooked long enough. The scoop works great though!

Place the insides of the pumpkin in a bowl.

Once I’m done scooping, I puree the pumpkin in my Magic Bullet. I don’t have the larger blender part, just the smaller cup sizes so I’m not able to puree a large portion at one time. However, the Magic Bullet is fast so it doesn’t take long. I add a little water to the pumpkin if it’s too thick, but just a little.

Once I’m done with the pureeing, I cut my FoodSaver bags to the right size. I like to freeze about 2 cups of puree per bag so if a recipe calls for 2 cups, I’m good to go. If it calls for less, I can use the leftovers to either make something else or just double the recipe.

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