SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

  • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Features
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Gardening
    • How to Start a Garden: Especially if you’re in Zone 3 or Zone 2
    • Seed Starting
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Perennials
    • Cut Flowers
    • Small Space Gardening
  • Recipes
    • Canning
    • Preserving
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • The Best Pumpkin Recipes
    • How to Make a Tempting Christmas Cookie Tray (Plus Recipes!)
  • Popular Posts
  • E-Books
    • Pretty & Practical Garden Planner
    • Cut Flowers Made Simple
    • Constant Colour Perennial Garden
    • Small Garden, Big Harvest
    • Growing Roots Online Gardening Course
    • Frost Proof Flower Garden
    • Bouquets Made Beautiful
    • Savvy Seed Saving Annual Cut flowers
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • Online Gardening Consultations
  • Seasons
    • Christmas

How to Harvest & Process Fresh Pumpkin

September 7, 2018

Pin8K
Share9
Tweet
8K Shares

For the longest time I’ve had an irrational fear of processing pumpkins.  It just seemed overwhelming.  How would I cut them?  Why did the guts have to be so gross to deal with?

Then as pumpkin puree climbed to $4 a can, I decided enough was enough.

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

In May, I planted one pie pumpkin plant and it produced 8 small pumpkins.  I was thrilled.  I harvested them in September before the early frost, and they ripened beautifully in time for use as Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations.

With Halloween over, it was time to take the plunge.  The first surprise was that it was actually very easy to cut them open.  I didn’t even have to warm them up in the microwave.

Related: Easy Pumpkin and Succulent decoration

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

Side note: In order for the pumpkin to be easy to open, you must use a variety that is meant for baking.  Pumpkins meant for jack-o-lanterns will have a much thicker skin and be harder to cut open.

I removed the seeds with a tablespoon and saved them for another project.

Related: 3 Ways to Make Delicious Pumpkin seed snacks

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

Cut, Remove the Pumpkin Seeds, and Cook

I lined up the pumpkin halves on my baking sheet and cooked them at 375 for around an hour.  Your times will vary depending on the size of your pumpkins.  When I could easily stick a fork in them and the thiner ones were starting to slightly break apart, I declared them done and took them out to cool completely.

Related: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

Add Water and Blend

I don’t have a food processor or particularly large blender, so I roughly broke up the pieces by hand, added 1/2 cup of water, and used my immersion blender.  If you are using a larger blender, you don’t have to add the water, but I was concerned about overwhelming the motor of mine.

Not sure what to do with the vegetables you’ve grown this year?  Get my 4-page cheat sheet below to help you out.

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

Pumpkin Puree with Little Effort

I ended up processing four batches and got 13 bags of pumpkin with 1 1/2 to 2 cups each in them.  (Sorry friends, I’m just not a huge fan of measuring!!  I admire those of you who are!!)  If one bag=1 can of store puree, the savings is $52.  Not bad for something that takes about an hour of actual work.  (I’m not counting the time in the oven.)

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

My son is a super picky eater because of his sensory issues, and pumpkin is one of the few vegetables that I can generally hide in something he does eat like pancakes or bread.  If you only use pumpkin in one or two recipes a year, just buy a can.  But if you use it more often like I do and enjoy doing this kind of stuff, then growing and processing the pumpkins is worth the savings.

Would you give this a try?  If you have any tips or tricks, please share!  I’m super excited to post the other two pumpkin posts coming up in the next week or so.

Save money by making your own pumpkin puree.  I'll show you how to make it.  Then you can use it for healthy recipes, in soup, dessert, cookies, muffins, pancakes, or even as baby food! #pumpkin #puree #healthy #preserving #garden #canning #pumpkins #DIY

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

18 Comments
Filed Under: DIY, Gardening, Harvest, Outdoor Life, Simple & Easy Tagged: garden produce, harvest, processing, pumpkin, puree

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Cheryl says

    November 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

    Or buy them cheaply around Halloween . Thanks for the info, I bought one and will freeze the pulp for later.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      November 3, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      That's an excellent idea!
      Reply
  2. Melanie says

    November 3, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    Looks great! Craxy question... did you peel the pumpkins or puree peel with? Last year I did this but didn't leave peel in and the color was not as nice as yours looks!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      November 3, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      I left the peels on to bake, then peeled them after they cooled. Was your colour too light or too dark? You should also know that I edit almost all of my pictures, so the orange may have been boosted a bit in the editing process.
      Reply
  3. Janice says

    November 3, 2016 at 4:05 pm

    I cut my pumpkin in half, more or less, removed the seeds. Then cut it into strips, used a potatoe peeler to remove the skin - super easy!! - and the last of the strings that were clinging to the pumpkin, and roughly cubed it into the slow cooker Added maybe a cup of water. Set it on high for two or three hours. I dumped it into a sieve, (ate a bunch of it with butter and salt and pepper) and then ran it through the food processor. Ended up with about 2 1/2 cups, would have been significantly more if I hadn't eaten it like I would squash. It was tasty!!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      November 4, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      That also sounds super easy! I'll have to try that method with my last pumpkin that I'm still using as a photo prop.
      Reply
  4. Nikky says

    October 10, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    So, I had my first garden ever, this year, and I planted packets of seeds with the mindset of “I’ll probably kill most of my plants, so if I plant a WHOLE packet of seeds, Ill have at least one plant of each veggie survive”... yeah, they ALL survived. So I am stuck with about 80 pie pumpkins... yay! With that being said, I know how to purée and preserve the pumpkins, but do you have any favorite recipes?
    Reply
    • Mary says

      October 9, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      Congratulations!! If you're in Chicago area I will happily take some off your hands!!
      Reply
  5. Sharon says

    November 11, 2019 at 11:36 am

    I ended up with ten large jack o lantern pumpkins this year. I have been out of town a lot so they are still in my garden. Can they be harvested the same as pie pumpkins?
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      November 11, 2019 at 6:21 pm

      Yes. The flesh might be a bit more watery, but you can still make puree with them.
      Reply
  6. Paulette Calloway says

    December 1, 2019 at 9:47 pm

    Did you can the pulp or freeze it? I have done this and I use the disposable 2 cup containers and freeze it. The recipe I use for cookies calls for 2 cups of pulp.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      December 7, 2019 at 1:02 am

      I froze the pulp. The only way you could can it is if you have a pressure canner.
      Reply
  7. Shelly says

    March 27, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    Hi! I bought seeds this year and am planning a pumpkin patch in order to process and can the pulp. I'm wondering, since pressure canning will cook the pumpkin again, should the baking time be less, or would it have to be long in order to get it to blend into a puree? Thanks so much for this post!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      March 29, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      I would still bake it the same amount of time, because you want to be able to get a nice smooth puree before you put it in the jars.
      Reply
  8. Lara says

    March 28, 2020 at 8:52 pm

    Do u freeze or bottle? Curious thanks
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      March 29, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      I freeze because I haven't tried out my pressure canner get. It can only be canned with a pressure canner and not a water bath.
      Reply
  9. Kelli Mahan says

    April 15, 2020 at 10:31 am

    Hi! It should be noted that if you are going to can your pumpkin in a pressure canner, you should not follow this cooking method. Pumpkin puree CANNOT be safely canned. You should clean and peel your pumpkin, cut it into one inch cubes, boil the cubes in a large pot of water for 2-5 minutes, then pack them loosely into hot, sterilized jars. Ladle in the hot cooking liquid, leaving one inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of your jars; put on lids and rings, and process in a pressure canner at 15 pounds of pressure (NOT a water bath). Adjust pressure for altitude. Quarts: 90 minutes; Pints: 55 minutes. :)
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      April 15, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      Thank you so much for this information!! I have never pressure canned pumpkin before, so I am very grateful for your directions.
      Reply

Leave a Reply to Kristen Raney Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Grow roots with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • How to Grow Eucalyptus for Cut Flowers (Even in a Short Growing Season!)
  • 26 Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements
  • 17 Perennial Flowers That Love Shade
  • How to Design a Cut Flower Garden in Raised Beds
  • How to Start a Cut Flower Garden

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Connect with Shifting Roots On. . .

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Find What You’re Looking For. . .

Privacy Policy

Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year? Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year?  A new post is on the blog to walk you through it.  While in theory eucalyptus is easy to grow, it's challenging in my zone 3 garden for three reasons: ⁠
⁠
➡️It needs a long time to mature⁠
➡️I have a short growing season⁠
➡️I live in a cool climate, and eucalyptus grows better when its warm.⁠
⁠
That said, you can see by this picture that it can be done!!⁠
⁠
Are you growing eucalyptus this year?
Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums up how this last week went, I think it's this one.  Babies crying, trying to stay calm, outwardly looking like it's all under control, but feeling very overwhelmed.⁠
⁠
This post isn't gardening related, so feel free to scroll by if you're here only for the gardening content.⁠
⁠
Thankfully it's January, and I keep reminding myself that the Internet will not break if I don't keep to my self-imposed posting schedule.  But it doesn't make a week full of teething-and-not-sleeping baby any easier. ⁠
⁠
Felicity slept through the night for the first time ever last Monday, then proceeded to punish us with frequent wakings and terrible sleep until Saturday.  And as tough as this is in regular times, in Covid times its extra frustrating because I don't have my village.⁠
⁠
I can't just call up another Mama friend and go for coffee at her house.  I can't take my son out for a Mommy-and-Dominic date because everything he'd want to do isn't really much of an option.  There's no playgroup or play place to just drop in on.  And forget just taking everybody out to get groceries just for a change of scenery.⁠
⁠
I know people have way more serious problems than this, and I hope I don't sound whiny and entitled, it's not my intention.  Please know that I'm very grateful for my family and job and that so far we've been healthy. ⁠
⁠
A lot of you who follow me do so in part because you are also juggling life with very little people through this strange time.  I hope that in occasionally sharing my struggles, it makes you feel better about your struggles. (You're struggling too sometimes. . . right?)
Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth deg Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth degree, do you just wing it, or are you somewhere in-between?⁠
⁠
I tend to plan it all out, and then when I actually get out in the field, so to speak, the plan changes a little bit. ⁠
⁠
If you need a garden planner that's both pretty & practical, my garden planner is available in the ebooks section.  It's only $9 and has lots of upgrades from the previous planner.  Use code CANADA if you're Canadian to account for the exchange.⁠
⁠
P.S. You can see exactly what you're getting in the video--no surprises. ⁠
P.P.S  I get my planner bound and printed at a printing place.  Lots of people just print their own and put the sheets in a binder.
Are you gardening in containers this year? When y Are you gardening in containers this year?  When you're shopping for vegetable seeds, look for varieties that have names with words like patio, tiny, small, etc.  While lots of vegetable varieties will do fine in a container, you'll have an easier time with ones that are specifically bred for that situation.⁠
⁠
📸 by @blushbrandphotography
I'm living the pepper dream in this photo. While I'm living the pepper dream in this photo.  While these ones are a bit on the small side, who doesn't want ripe peppers in July in zone 3?!?! ⁠
⁠
Over the years I've gotten better at growing peppers, and I promise I'll spill my secrets in February when it's actually time to start them.  Until then, get yourself all or one of my four favourite varieties: ⁠
⁠
🌶️Carmen⁠
🌶️Escamillo⁠
🌶️Candy Stripe⁠
🌶️Hungarian Hot Wax⁠
⁠
Do you have a favourite pepper variety?⁠
⁠
Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately? It Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately?  It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed, especially if you're new to gardening.  Why are there so many varieties of everything and which ones do I choose?⁠
⁠
Here's how I try to narrow it down.⁠
⁠
🌤️ Short growing season like me?  Try and prioritize varieties that have short dates to maturity.⁠
🥗 What do you or your family actually eat?  While I think you should always try a couple of new things, there's no sense in planting a giant garden filled with vegetables that you're not going to cook with. ⁠
🥒 Do you care whether your vegetables are heirlooms or hybrids?  Heirlooms are the kind that have been around for 50+ years and you can save seeds from.  Believe it or not, this year we're prioritizing hybrids for some of our garden.  The Hermit @mgsraney is obsessed with production this year, so anything that's going in "his" greenhouse better be able to produce a lot.  I'm using more heirlooms in my "glamour garden" as we call it, because I want things that are pretty and I can save seeds from.⁠
⁠
What do you prioritize when you're picking out seeds?⁠
Last week we started thinking about our plans for Last week we started thinking about our plans for cut flower gardening, now this week we start thinking about plans for our vegetable gardens.  Unlike cut flowers, there's not as many vegetables that need to be started ridiculously early.  However, it's still fun to plan and dream and get your thoughts sorted.⁠
⁠
I'm curious--what size of garden do you have to work with?  Are you on an acreage or farm, city backyard, or do you have a couple of pots on an apartment patio?⁠
⁠
As for me, I have quite a mix.  I have my container garden on my backyard deck, the small cut flower garden in my yard, then vegetables in raised beds.  We also garden at my Mother-in-law's acreage, so there's a giant garden over there where we're figuring out how to grow food on a larger scale.  Then finally, sometimes my Mom grows things for me in her garden if I'm nervous that I'll ruin them in my own garden--call it a backup garden if you will.⁠
⁠
📸 by @blushbrandphotography
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2021

Copyright © 2021 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in