Choosing your pumpkin
Different varieties of pumpkin make different purée textures and flavours, so while you can use any pumpkin for purée, they'll give different results. We recommend choosing a firm-fleshed, undamaged pumpkin.
You can also try using different varieties of winter squash: butternut squash have orange flesh, a very dense texture and a sweet flavour, while kabocha (Japanese squash) have yellow flesh, an earthier flavour and turn fudgy once cooked.
The orange pumpkins you see everywhere at Halloween usually don’t have much flavour and can have watery flesh. Therefore, if using around Halloween, make sure it's an eating pumpkin rather than one that is specifically grown for carving. A good amount of pumpkin for one batch of purée is around 750g chopped flesh.
How to prepare your pumpkin for puréeing
If you are steaming the pumpkin, it's important to peel and deseed it first. This will give the purée a smoother finish. Discard the seeds or (roast them in the oven with salt and a little oil to make a delicious snack), then cut the flesh into 2cm chunks. Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds and try our tasty seasoning ideas.
Other methods for puréeing pumpkin (beyond steaming and microwaving)
Roasting
Roasting pumpkin gives you a slightly richer depth of flavour. The edges will catch and caramelise slightly, adding a sweet caramel flavour. This method works well for a savoury purée, as you can add aromatics and herbs to the roasting tin.
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Toss the cubes of pumpkin in a large roasting tin.
- Drizzle with a little flavourless oil and season to taste (if you’re using it in savoury dishes).
- Roast for 25-30 mins or until the pumpkin is golden and tender.
- Allow to cool before mashing or blending.
Boiling
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil.
- Add the pumpkin chunks and boil for 15 mins or until a cutlery knife is easily inserted into the flesh.
- Drain and allow to steam-dry before mashing or blending.
Pumpkin flavouring ideas
You can add extra flavours to your finished purée, such as a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice, and sweeten it with maple syrup, brown sugar or honey. Sweetened, spiced purée is delicious stirred through warm porridge or rice pudding, or a savoury version is great tossed with cooked gnocchi.
Once you've mastered the cooking technique, try our pumpkin purée recipe ideas and our creative 10 new ways with pumpkin.
