What to do with Pumpkin Puree: Frugal Flashback

It's pumpkin time! I'm always so excited to see those orange globes of fun on the ground near the pumpkin patch I live by. How about you? Did you know your Halloween Pumpkin is good for more than just one night of fun? You can make Pumpkin Puree very quickly and the uses are endless.

(Jack ‘O Lantern instructions here)

I'm going to have a frugal flashback and let you in on one of my dirty little secrets. I've mentioned before, how we raised our kids on a very limited budget. Learning to waste not want not was an absolute necessity for us. As a result it became a family tradition to carve our pumpkin on Halloween Eve and then keep it in the fridge until the next day, no early carving and then letting it rot on the porch for us. It simply wasn't in our budget.

(Jack ‘O Lantern Cookie recipe here)

We'd put it on the porch for a couple of hours were it would do it's duty, lighting the way for little spooks, letting them know we were open for Trick or Treat business, then we'd bring it in for cooking that same night and I'd whip up a batch, of what is now known, as Jack-O-Lantern cookies (recipe here). Make sure if you do this, you research and follow safe food handling guidelines and don't let your pumpkins sit out for too long.

Regardless of whether you re-purpose your Halloween Spook or pick up an extra, here's how to roast pumpkin, puree pumpkin and some secret places you can sneak this nutritious ingredient into your families meals. It's so simple, you'll wonder why you didn't do it before.

Cut your pumpkin into wedges and remove the seeds. You can save those and roast them up too. Place your pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Then roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 about 45 to 50 minutes. The Pumpkin should be fork tender.

You can scoop it into a food processor and puree but, I'm not big on cleaning food processors when a fork will do the trick so, I just separate it from the skin and mash it up by hand. I also like the texture better this way. That's it. Easy peasy.

The puree is a perfect sneak in ingredient, for soups, stews and chili's. Put it in spaghetti, mashed potatoes and rice or, try mixing it in hummus. Try adding it to honey butter and put on toast. You can add it to muffin batter, mix in cream cheese and put on bagels, or enjoy it with some olive oil just the way it is. The uses are endless. It will also freeze for up to 6 months.

Posted by Joani