Oh, what do you do in the Autumn time~~~

Tutorial on how to bake down those yummy farm fresh pumpkins.

This is our behemoth. I put it next to my mixer just to show you the size = 12 hours of bake-down and 27 ~ 3 cup bags of pumpkin.

First, pick farm fresh pumpkins. Check those stalks. If they are dry or shriveling or disintegrating... move on to the next pumpkin. You want one that is full of thick wet meat.
Pre-heat your oven to 375.
Open the pumpkin and cut out the 'guts'. No string or seeds allowed.


Use a cookie sheet with a lip (ie. jellyroll pan) and place your pieces meat - side down.
Try to keep your pieces about the same size to ensure even cooking.

Fill up your pan and then add a little bit of water just to help keep the meat from sticking.
Bake for 60 minutes.

Check to make sure that the meat is soft and the skin should be bubbling up off the meat.

Once baked (they are steamed with the water you added), allow to cool for a couple minutes. While the pumpkin is still really warm start peeling off the skin.

Throw the hot pieces into a blender or food processor and start creating your liquid gold pulp.

*I always have another pan ready to go (adding the water just before going into the oven) to begin baking while I'm processing the baked batch.

Write on quart size freezer bags the date, Pumpkin, and how many cups you are storing.

Pumpkin pie and cake recipes take the 3 cups (equal to one Libby's can). My breads take 2 cups and cookie batches take 1 cup. So I find that storing 3 cups is the best for our family.

Place your prepared bag in a LARGE cup... no messy hands and cleaner bags.

Add in your pumpkin pulp by the cup.

Seal and lay out flat. (takes up less space in your freezer)

Store in your freezer and enjoy yummy pumpkin creations year round.

I also have put pumpkin pulp in soups (great way to thicken the soup and hide more veggies from the kids) & spaghetti sauces (only about 1/2 - 1 cup, depending on size of batch you make for your sauces). Be creative... I have pulp coming out of my..... pumpkin pulp is sooooo cheap. We paid less than $20 for both HUGE pumpkins and got essentially more than 36 CANS of Libby canned pumpkin. Mine is much healthier, no added colors and preservatives.

This is dedicated to my momma who taught us how to do this. We enjoyed all those years of yummy HOMEMADE pumpkin pie and now all of us kids have continued to bake down our own pumpkins and use our own pulp. Props to you Mom.