I recently asked you on facebook, what your favorite kind of squash was. I didn’t tally up the answers or anything, but it looked like a close call between butternut squash and spaghetti squash. I love both of those, but my favorite squash is kabocha squash!
Kabocha is also commonly known as Japanese pumpkin. It has a very sweet flavor and a moist and fluffy texture. We like to eat it roasted or we purée it and use it to make pie filling and souffles (recipe coming soon!).
This method of making squash purée could be used for a variety of squashes – sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash etc. I like to roast a few pumpkins, purée them up and freeze them, so I always have some on hand.
As you probably know by now, I am obsessed with my wide mouth freezable mason jars, my chalk paint and my chalk ink pen. These 3 things have brought so much sanity and organization to my life! You can get more details on how I make my chalk lids in this post.
Just to clarify, I don’t can stuff. I am way too lazy for that right now. But, I imagine it’s a skill that I’ll pick up a long the way, as it seems like the sort of thing I’d be into. For now, I just stuff my purees, broths, and soups into my wide mouth mason jars. I leave a little room at the top (not like how I did it in the above photo) because as the food freezes it will expand and if there is not enough room, it will pop the lid open.
How to Make Pumpkin Purée
Ingredients
2 sugar pie pumpkins or kabocha squash (between 4 – 6 lb.s)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fiber. Reserve seeds for another use. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the pumpkins flesh side down.
Roast for 45-50 minutes or until the pumpkin is very tender. I test it by sticking a pairing knife through it. Once the pumpkin is cool, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the pumpkin, leaving the skin behind.
Place pumpkin in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use within a few days or place in wide mouth mason jars and freeze for later use. This should keep in the freezer for a few months. But, I always go by the smell test with everything in my fridge! 🙂
Use the puree to make pie, my pumpkin spice poppers or even a creamy soup!
What do you like making with pumpkin or squash purée? Tell us in the comments!
