It's that time of year again when our cupboards are thoroughly stocked with cans of delicious Pumpkin Puree.
Just about every recipe calls for this delicious orange substance and we couldn't be happier.
From Pumpkin Pies, Cookies, Cupcakes, Baked Oats, Risottos, Pasta and Lattes.
It's in savoury foods, sweet foods and drinks, but what happens if you can't get any canned pumpkin? - You make it of course...
You may be surprised, but most canned pumpkin isn't even made from Pumpkin. In-fact most are made using Squash.
Squash makes a far better tasting puree than the Jack-o-lantern pumpkin. I find that these pumpkins are best left to Halloween decorations.
Making your own is simple and calls for only 2 ingredients and once cooked it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or it can be stored in the freezer.
If freezing and then being used in baked goods, then its best to use several pieces of kitchen paper to dabb and absorb the excess water from the squash.
Lets get into the recipe and method...
Happy Cooking!
The Food Fiesta Team
INGREDIENTS
1x medium squash ( we use Paulista, but butternut squash etc is also good )
Drizzle of olive oil
METHOD
Pre heat the oven to 300 C
Slice the squash in half length ways and scrape out the seeds.
Place the squash into an oven dish and drizzle lightly with the olive oil.
Pop it onto the top shelf of the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh is soft.
Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool until cool enough to handle.
Once cooled scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor. You may have to do it in batches depending on how much squash there is and the size of your processor.
Blitz until smooth. Repeat until all the squash has been used.
It's now ready for all your Pumpkin recipes.
Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or it can be frozen. Although when frozen it's best to be used in cooking rather than baking, because of the excess water from freezing.
I didn't realise how easy it was to make pumpkin puree! i used butternut squash and it came out really good! thanks 🎃 😋