Pumpkin - Roasted and Pureed

Cut pumpkins in half (they are hard to cut, I solicited help from the hubster).
ETA: Tip of the Day: Round Two – Pumpkin Roasting - One week later: I was too inpatient to wait for Sleeping Beauty to get up so I discovered a small serrated knife works much better than the large butcher knife.  @not*so*hard*after*all*!

Scoop out the goop (technical term for seeds and stringy substance. Kitchen shears work great for cutting the stringy stuff).

Sprinkle with a little Kosher salt (brings out the flavor and the moisture) and roast at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until a knife pokes thru easily.

 

 

Cool for about an hour.

Scoop out the flesh.

 



Puree until smooth.

Clean seeds for roasting.  (Arrange single layer on cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, roast for 15-20 minutes or until they dry out and get crunchy.  I turned off the oven and left them in the oven for another 10 minutes.  You can use any spices you like and make them sweet or savory.)

 

Use the puree to make pie (recipe to be posted in the next day or two).



 

You can use pumpkin puree in any recipe that you would use canned pumpkin. 

You can freeze the puree up to 6 months.  (I put it in zip top bags, about 2-3 cups in each.)

 

~Source: Alton Brown, Cooking Channel