How to Freeze Pumpkin for Pies, Bread and Eating
This summer my husband and I attempted to grow pumpkins but only a few survived after something ate them from inside the ground. We got lucky though and our neighbour gave us some of his to use for decoration and when we were done we froze the pumpkin meat to use for pies, bread and general eating. For convenience I froze in one cup portions to be used in recipes.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
- Pumpkins
- knife
- bowls
- glass baking pans
- water
- food processor
- cookie sheets
- wax paper
- freezer bags
INSTRUCTIONS
- First, cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and save for roasting, then remove all the strings inside the pumpkin and discard. We put this in a bowl and threw it out in the garden. Also, preheat the oven to 300 degrees
- Next, cut the pumpkins in half so you have four quarters. Scrape the pumpkins with a spoon so that all the strings are out and its just the meat left.
- Place water in the bottom of the glass baking pans so that it will cover the bottom of the pumpkins. Place the pumpkins skin down and place in the oven. Cook at 300 degrees for one hour or until you can easily slice a knife though it.
- When the pumpkins are cooked, let cook until you can handle them. Peel the skin of each pumpkin. My husband used a potato peeler to remove the skins.
- Next, slice the pieces of pumpkins in small pieces and then process them in a food processor. Place the process portions in a bowl to store.
- After all the pumpkin has been processed, lay out wax paper on cookie sheets. I portion mine into one cup portions and place on a cookie sheet.
- Freeze pumpkin portions overnight. Remove pumpkin from cookie sheets and place in freezer bags. By double freezing the pumpkin you can place several cups in one bag or you can freeze them separately.
USES
Use frozen pumpkin as substitute for can pumpkin in your favourite breads, pies, bars, soups and recipes that call for pumpkin.