The leaves are changing colors, the air is cooler and it’s time to harvest the pumpkins for homemade pumpkin puree and doggie treats.  If you ever have the chance try a slice of a store bought pumpkin pie and homemade pumpkin pie at the same time, you will be amazed with the difference in flavor.  Homemade pumpkin pie with homemade puree has a sweeter taste that kinda pops in your mouth at the end of a bite.  It truly is delicious! This is how I make my homemade pumpkin puree for pies and yes I also use it when I make my homemade doggie treats.  My dogs go crazy for these treats! I gave my neighbor some of these doggie treats and she told me her dog was crazy for them as well.

 

What you will need: cutting board, sharp knife, spoon, tray with a lip, cooling rack, blender, bowl and a baking pumpkin not a regular pumpkin that you put out for Halloween.

 

 Slice your baking pumpkin in half with a sharp knife.  The half on the left has been scooped out and the one on the right has not.  You will want to scoop both halves middle section up where the seeds and the stringy stuff is.  I save my seeds so I can use them the following year for planting.




 

Cut your halves into quarters and place them on top of the cooling rack that is sitting inside of your tray that has a lip.

Place your tray in the oven at 300 degree, pour some water into the bottom of your tray and steam bake for about  1 ½ hours (the length of time will depend upon how your oven cooks and the size of the pumpkin)

 

 

 

When you can stick a fork through the top of each quarter with the least amount of effort that quarter is done baking (not all quarters bake at the same rate).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The skin of the pumpkin should literally fall away from the sides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all the skin is removed you are left with a big piece of pumpkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place this piece of pumpkin into a blender (my picture shows a food processor because my blender decided to die).  The setting should be set for puree.  When there are no lumps in your puree, you are finished. 

 

HAPPY BAKING!