Pumpkin Purée

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Pumpkin Purée

Pumpkin Purée
© Denzil Green

bullet point Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin Purée is the fancy way of saying "Canned Pumpkin."

If you're making pies, Canned Pumpkin may be the way to go if you're not an experienced hand, as they will help you avoid getting a watery pie. Even dab hands often prefer to use Canned Pumpkin. Good Canned Pumpkin also contains squash, but that's not a problem -- pumpkin is a squash. Canned Pumpkin is on the shelf of every grocery store in North America, and is less than the price of a real pumpkin.

That, however, is only true for North America. You'll have a devil of a time trying to find Canned Pumpkin in the UK. You can order it from some on-line sites, but they need of course to charge a lot for it, what with the importing, clearing customs & health regulations, shipping, etc, which brings the tins out, unfortunately to a whopping £4.00 a tin / $6.00 US a tin (2004 prices.) At this point, the North Americans will be gasping for breath and clutching their chests -- for a can of pumpkin??? When Sainsbury's has it in stock, it is £1.19, which is pretty darn close to North America prices. Reportedly Selfridges also carries it, but Waitrose and Tesco do not (as of 2004.) Which is too bad, because starting from a fresh pumpkin is really only an option for two or three months at the end of the year.

Cooking Tips for Pumpkin Purée

To make your own: Wash pumpkin to remove any dirt. Cut pumpkin into large chunks (don't bother peeling) and remove seeds. Steam for about 1/2 hour or until tender -- poke with a fork to check for the same level of tenderness that you would when boiling potatoes. Drain in a colander, and let cool. Sometimes home cooked pumpkin purée can be runny: if you've had this happen to you before, and want to avoid it again, at this stage, put the cooked pumpkin chunks in a colander resting in a large bowl, cover all with plastic wrap, and set in refrigerator overnight to drain.


Scrape the cooked pumpkin off from the skin with a large metal spoon and discard the skin. Put the pumpkin into a blender (or food processor) and purée until smooth, or mash with a potato masher.

You can also make purée from other squash in the same manner. The best versions combine pumpkin with some other squash.

Instead of steaming the pumpkin, some people roast it.

Even if you are in a hurry, always cool it before using it in pumpkin pies.

Equivalents for Pumpkin Purée

16 oz (by weight or volume) of pumpkin purée = 450g = 2 cups

Storage Hints for Pumpkin Purée

Store opened Canned Pumpkin in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in ziplock bags; mark on each how much purée there is so you will know when you go to use it. You may wish to freeze it in 1 cup / 8 oz / 225g portions.


The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) used to give procedures for home canning of Pumpkin Purée, but since 1989 they have withdrawn those guidelines and now recommend against it.

Language Notes about Pumpkin Purée

Sometimes referred to as "mashed pumpkin" or "pumpkin pulp" -- though growers use "pulp" to refer to the non-solid, stringy bits in the centre of a pumpkin surrounding the seeds.
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