Can You Freeze Pumpkin Puree? The Answer May Surprise You

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Pumpkin puree is delicious and can be so useful in so many dishes. Can you freeze pumpkin puree? Find out the answer from this article and also learn how to make and freeze the puree.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Puree?

Can you freeze pumpkin puree? Yes! a great way to save time in the kitchen, especially during the busy holiday season. Click To Tweet

Don’t throw away your pumpkin leftovers! Just follow these simple steps below.

How to Make and Freeze Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Halloween pumpkins are big, bright, and beautiful, and they are edible! This homemade pumpkin puree is simply stunning.

Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian, explains that pumpkins are “a good source for fiber, vitamins C and A, folate, potassium and phosphorous.” Pumpkins, like other orange-colored fruits and vegetables, are high in antioxidant beta-carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A.

Although the big pumpkins aren’t as sweet or flavorful as smaller “sugar pumpkins”, or “pie pumpkins”, you can still use them to flavor and enhance roasted veggies soups and loaves, lattes, and pies.

However, they should not be eaten if they have been carved into Jack-o’-lanterns. They become a refuge for pathogens within two hours of being carved and are no longer safe to consume. Add to this the soot from a burning candle, and these pumpkins are even more dangerous than a herd of zombies!

Pumpkins must be cooked, cooled, and then scraped or peeled before being pureed. The puree can be frozen for up to one year. Therefore do not throw away your leftover pumpkin puree since you can store it for that long!

This technique can be used to make large pumpkins, pie pots, and other types of winter squash.

Step 1: Wash the Pumpkin or Squash

Step 2: Cut Pumpkin/Squash in half

To cut through the pumpkin, use a large serrated knife. To avoid cutting through the stem, cut on one side.

Step 3: Take out the Strings and Seeds

The seeds can be saved for roasting later. All winter squash seeds can also be roasted and eaten.

Step 4: Bake the Pumpkin/Squash halves

Place half of the pumpkin (or quarters, if you have a large pumpkin) on a cookie sheet. Then, add 1/4 inch of water to the pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) oven for 60-90 minutes or until the pan is tender.

Step 5: Grab the Flesh

Scrape the flesh with an ice cream scoop, or large spoon. Sometimes, the skin is so loose that it is easier to peel the skin than to scrape the flesh.

Step 6: Drain and puree the pumpkin

You can either mash the pumpkin using a potato masher or put it through a food mill or puree it with an immersion blender. Pumpkin can be very watery so make sure to drain the puree after cooking.

After pureeing, drain the pumpkin using a fine sieve, a colander lined in a coffee filter, or a jelly bag. Let it sit for at least an hour.

Butternut, buttercup, hubbard squash, and buttercup squash are less liquidy so they don’t need to drain.

Step 7: Use or Freeze

There’s a good chance that you will end up with more puree than you can eat. Pumpkin puree can be frozen for up to one year. Pre-measured quantities can be placed in freezer bags so that you can easily pull out the exact amount you need. Click To Tweet

You can freeze the puree in 1-cup containers. Spread it thinly and evenly to freeze faster. It also stores flat and thaws quickly.

3 Ways to Freeze Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin-lovers will find canned pumpkin everywhere this time of year, right after Halloween and before Thanksgiving. It is also incredibly affordable.

We have some tips to help you get more value for your pumpkin puree. These tips can also be used if you have leftover canned pumpkin.

Canned pumpkin puree will keep for one week if it has been opened. However, if it is stored in the freezer, it will last for many months.

It is easier to freeze pumpkin puree in the amounts you use most. These are our top three favorite ways to do it.

Zip-Top Bag

A can of pumpkin puree weighs approximately 15 ounces. This is enough to fit perfectly in a zip-top bag sized for a quart. The bags can be frozen flat on a baking tray and stored upright like a file.

These bags can be thawed at room temperature or quickly thawed in the microwave. This portion is used most often for pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie baking.

In a Muffin Tin

You only need a little pumpkin to make pumpkin soup or muffin batter. This is the size you need. Fill a muffin tin with 1/2 cup pumpkin puree.

Smooth out the batter and freeze. You can then remove the pumpkin pucks from the freezer and place them in a zip-top bag for storage.

In an Ice Cube Tray

A few cubes of frozen pumpkin can make smoothies sweeter and creamier (pumpkin pie smoothie anyone? You can brighten your day by filling an ice cube tray full of pumpkin puree.

You’ll need to fill the cubes, freeze them solid and then transfer them to a bag or container for storage. Each cube can hold approximately one tablespoon of puree

Uses of Pumpkin or Squash Puree

There’s a variety of recipes that can be made with leftover pumpkin puree. These recipes include:

Orange Pumpkin Loaf

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Pumpkin and Apple Fruit Roll-Ups

Pumpkin Spice Pudding with Gingersnaps

Other recipes include pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pecan muffins, etc.

Is It Pumpkin Season Yet?

Can you freeze pumpkin puree? Yes! Don’t throw away any leftover pumpkin puree! Follow this guide to find out how to use up any leftover pumpkin from the can. Click To Tweet