Homemade Pumpkin Puree

This year, as you well know if you have kept up on my blog, James and I grew a garden. In that garden we grew lots of wonderful fruits and vegetables and the one thing James was most excited about was the pumpkins. We managed to harvest about eight pumpkins (two actual Jack-O-Lanters and the rest are called Triple Treats), and we used four of them to carve on Halloween. The last four pumpkins I cooked up today and made my own homemade pumpkin puree. It was a lengthy process, but only because I had to gut, cut, scrape, peel, and puree the pumpkins. I got a good amount of pumpkin seeds, too (I found out that the Triple Treat pumpkins have hull-less pumpkin seeds that are great for roasting). On Halloween night, after we carved out pumpkins we also roasted the pumpkin seeds. To be honest, I preferred the Triple Treat seeds to the regular Jack-O-Lantern seeds. They taste kind of like popcorn, but without the kernels, and a bit meatier. They even swell and pop in the oven like popcorn. We put olive oil and some seasoning salt on them and have been feasting on them.

Today I got many more seeds that I harvested the same way. When they started popping in the oven I knew they were done. I pulled them out and immediately began tasting them...and kind of haven't stopped. Until now, of course. They are really good. We are definitely growing Triple Treat pumpkins in our garden next year. I also roasted the actual pumpkin until it was fork tender and then I pureed the chunks in the food processor. I was worried the pumpkin would be more watery, but that was not the case at all. In fact, I had to add about half a cup of water to get it a nice thick consistency, and still not be too watery. It turned out great and now I have a great deal of pumpkin puree with which to bake pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pie. Mmm! Pumpkin pie. I love that stuff. I don't eat it at all through the year, but when November comes it's all I can think about. I love pumpkin pie! I think I'll be making pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread tomorrow. I was going to make it tonight, but it might be a little too late now. I was going to make it for dessert after I tried a new recipe called Lasagna Soup. Since it snowed last night and it's still cold today (which I LOVE!!) I figured it was a great day to try a new soup. I don't know why, but I'm kind of on a soup kick lately. I made a homemade creamy baked potato soup last week that was to die for! So, I'm really excited to try this new soup. I mean, what's not to love with a soup that tastes, and has the same ingredients as, a regular lasagna? It should be good!