How To Cook A Pumpkin In An Instant Pot To Make Puree
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Remove the stem from a 2 to 3 pound pie pumpkin and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot insert pot.
- Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 23 to 25 minutes ; Natural Release pressure.
- Carefully remove the pumpkin using the trivet to transfer it to a bowl.
- Using a large spoon cut away the pumpkin rind. It will be very soft.
- Slice pumpkin in half and gently remove the seeds and pulp.
- The pumpkin will be soft enough to simply mash with a fork or potato masher.
- I like to drain the pumpkin for about 15 minutes, if necessary, in a sieve to remove any liquid.
- If you want to replace a 15-ounce can of pumpkin with your fresh pumpkin puree, measure 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons.
- You can also weigh out 15 ounces on a kitchen scale.
- Store your pumpkin puree in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Puree
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin puree for up to 3 months if it is properly stored.;
How to store leftover pumpkin puree
If you are not using the pumpkin puree right away, place the pumpkin puree in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator 24 hours.;
To freeze the homemade pumpkin puree, freeze it in measured quantities, mark with the contents, date, and amount, and freeze for up to 3 months.
When Cooking Time Is Done Allow Pressure To Release Naturally Before Opening
Once the pressure has fully released, I generally remove the lid of the Instant Pot, and allow the pumpkin to cool right in the pot, until it’s cool enough to work with comfortably.
That’s it! You should have a perfectly cooked pumpkin. You can remove it from the pot, cut it in half, and scoop the seeds out. Depending on the variety of pie pumpkin, you may find that the flesh has pretty much separated itself from the skin, so that you can just about lift off the skin. Other varieties hold more tightly to the skin, and you can easily scoop the flesh out with a large spoon.
If you’re using your pumpkin to make a smooth puree for baking with, you can either whip it with a fork, whisk, or hand mixer . Or you may want to put it the bowl of your stand mixer and use either the wire whip or flat beater to whip it into a perfect puree.
I like to freeze pumpkin puree in pre-measured amounts – either in one cup portions, or in amounts required by recipes that I make very frequently.
Using an Instant Pot to cook whole pumpkins has been such an easy and efficient way to turn a lot of pie pumpkins into wonderful puree for a winter’s worth of baked goods. It’s going to be my method of choice from now on. I hope it works well for you too!
Happy baking!!
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Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Cake
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An Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Cake combines classic fall flavors into a moist, delicious cake that requires little effort to make besides mixing ingredients and putting them into your pressure cooker!
How To Store Homemade Pumpkin Puree Can I Freeze Pumpkin Puree
- The best way to store pumpkin puree in the fridge is in a sealed or covered container. It will stay fresh in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Yes, you can freeze pumpkin puree!
- I use freezer bags and freeze in 1-2 cup portions. Squeeze out all of the air, then seal, and lay flat in the freezer.
- Be sure to label the date and amount of pumpkin in each bag. Frozen pumpkin puree should keep up to a year in the freezer.
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How To Drain Pumpkin Puree
If your homemade pumpkin puree is too watery, you will need to drain it until desire consistency.
Place a sieve on a bowl and place the homemade fresh pumpkin puree in a sieve lined with coffee filters or paper towels. You can also use cheesecloths or a yogurt drainer. Make sure to use a bowl to catch the liquid as it drains from the pumpkin puree.
Once the puree is drained, the pumpkin pulp should be the same consistency as canned pumpkin puree and can be used in all your favorite recipes calling for canned pumpkin puree.
To make this recipe you need
How To Cook Pumpkin In The Instant Pot
Learn how to cook pumpkin in the Instant Pot with this simple guide that will teach you how to make pumpkin puree at home. Use it in pumpkin pie, soups, and all the other Fall comfort foods your family loves! This method is a cinch that youll find yourself ditching the canned store-bought pumpkin in no time.
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How Do You Make Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Crust In A Pressure Cooker
A traditional pie crust doesnt work well in a pressure cooker because it wont bake up flaky. The moisture that is so good for the custard pie filling is a disaster for a traditional pie crust.
For pressure cooker pie crust, I really love to make a cookie crust. The cookie crust stays a little crisper than a traditional crust on the bottom of a pumpkin pie.
You can use any sort of dry, crumbly cookie. I love the flavor from pecan sandies in this recipe, but some readers have had great results with a gingersnap crust.;
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Choose The Right Pumpkin:
Selecting the right pumpkin is the key to some good pumpkin recipes. Always look for small, round, and bright-colored pumpkins. Those with little green and blemishes are good options too. You will find decorative pumpkins and cooking pumpkins. Always choose sugar pumpkins for the best flavor and texture. These pumpkins work best for making some pumpkin-based desserts too. If you need around 2-3 cups of puree, make sure to pick a pumpkin of 4 pounds or more.
Why Use An Instant Pot To Make Pumpkin Puree
I used to make it in the oven.; I had to cook it forever, and it heated up my whole house.;;
The energy savings is negligible, but nonetheless you’ll save money cooking in an Instant Pot versus an oven.; The pressure cooker conserves energy well and uses less energy to heat up.
Finally, when you make pumpkin in the oven, the skin can be tough to get off.; In the Instant Pot, it pretty much just falls off.;;
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How To Store It
Small pumpkins usually yield about 1 ½ to 2 cups of puree — maybe a little more. If you’re using it right away, you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days.
For longer storage, place 1 cup at a time in freezer bags, flatten the puree out, and freeze until ready to use. You can also freeze smaller portions in ice cube trays or silicone baking cups.
Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Pure
Making homemade pumpkin purée sounds like one of those #culinarygoal projects something that sounds good in theory, but takes far too much time and effort to actually do. Not so much when you add the pressure cooker to the equation. In hardly any time, homemade pumpkin purée, and all the bragging rights that go along with it, can be yours. Just imagine the pumpkin pie youre on your way to making.
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You Can Pressure Cook Squash Too
Now that you have cooked pumpkin ready to puree for your holiday pie and more, it’s time to try your pressure cooking skills on more than just pumpkin. If you want your pie to have a mixture of squashes like some canned purees do, try this method with any squash you desire. Just remember to adjust time based on size and hardness of the squash. Add this to our list of reasons why we love the Instant Pot at the holidays its given us even more reason to be excited for our upcoming week of baking and cooking!
Related Content:
How To Cook Pumpkin And Squash In An Instant Pot
Cooking squash in an Instant Pot is ridiculously easy!
You can even make your own pumpkin puree if youre feeling ambitious. Or at the very least, mildly interested.
If youve got squash exploding out of your garden you can cook a bunch and freeze it for quick soups and sides during the winter, too.
Those little pie pumpkins and smaller squashes can be put into the pot WHOLE, which is great news.
That means you dont have to cut the squash in half and theres a 76% less chance of losing a finger. Whoop!
But if you cant fit the whole thing in make sure your knife is sharp. Get the knife into the middle a half inch or so deep and work your way around it until you can get it apart.
It helps to be higher up, too, so if youre on the short side, stand on a step stool so you have more leverage. Or put your cutting board on the floor.
The good news is you wont have to cook it for long. And sometimes its easier to get all of the seeds out before its cooked.
After the pie pumpkin comes out of the Instant Pot, the peel practically falls off. The pumpkin flesh is easy to scrape out, too.
Put it in a food processor or a blender and process until smooth, but;DONT ADD WATER!
Homemade pumpkin puree is already a little wetter than canned puree and you dont want it so wet that it wont be compatible with recipes that call for canned puree.
Itll also be lighter and brighter in color than store bought.
Actually, they all freeze well!;
Look how easy it is!
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How To Cut A Pumpkin
- Begin by washing the pumpkin and removing all the dirt and grimes on it. Pat it dry before cutting it. Because pumpkin skin can be slippery while cutting, you need to ensure that its totally dry before inserting a knife into it.
- Use a sharp knife, preferably a chefs knife, to cut the pumpkin into two halves. Always cut it from the top to the bottom after removing the stalk. Once the pumpkin is cut into halves, take a spoon and scoop out all the seeds and thread-like fresh in the core.
- If you want to bake, leave the skin and cut the pumpkin into smaller halves. Even for the instant pot cooking, you can leave the skin on the pumpkin.
- For sautéing, baking, broiling, grilling, and air-frying, you will need to peel the pumpkin skin. I really find it hard to peel the pumpkin skin with a vegetable peeler. Therefore, I use my knife to cut the skin off and then cut the pumpkin into smaller cubes.
Can You Can Pumpkin Puree
Unfortunately, no.; You can not can any leftover pumpkin puree.; There are several reasons that pumpkin puree is not safe for canning.
The first is that the pH changes from batch to batch, so you can’t guarantee that it’s a high acid food.; This can allow bacteria to grow.
Secondly, you need to add water to pumpkin puree.; This changes the viscosity.; Since the viscosity is different for each batch, you can’t test it for safety.
Third, and closely related to the second reason, pumpkin puree can be quite thick.; While the outer part of the jar might reach a safe canning temperature, the inside might not.
For these reasons, it’s recommended that you freeze any leftover pumpkin puree.; I freeze min 15-16 ounces per container to substitute for a can of pumpkin puree.
I also freeze it in ice cube trays.; When it’s frozen, I move it to a plastic bag.; This is perfect for making coffee creamer or other recipes where you just need a few tablespoons.;;
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What To Make With Pumpkin Puree
SO MANY THINGS! I say that if its between September 1st and November 30th, its completely acceptable to add a dollop of pumpkin puree to EVERYTHING. Okay, maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration, but there really are a ton of things that can be done with pumpkin puree. Here are a few of our very favorite pumpkin recipes:
What Kind Of Pumpkin Should I Use For Homemade Pumpkin Puree
For the best flavor, you want to find a pie or sugar pumpkin at your local grocery store. You can also grow them in your garden! The pulp of a sugar pumpkin is less grainy and sweeter than a carving pumpkin. Pumpkins you see for sale during Halloween and decoration are not really meant for cooking and will not taste nearly as good. They have less flesh, which makes them easier to carve, but not so great for eating.
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How To Grill Pumpkin
- Grilling a pumpkin is easier than you think, and you can use grilled pumpkin in so many recipes. Use them on salads or in curries, or just toss these with spices and serve as a side-dish.
- Heat a seasoned grilled pan and brush it with cooking oil.
- Add sliced pumpkin pieces seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Grill till 5-6 minutes till grill marks appear on the side down on the pan. Flip and cook the other side till grill marks appear.
- You may brush it with more oil or butter after flipping. The grilled pumpkin slices will be ready in 10- to 12- minutes.
- Serve it with your favorite salad or use it in cooking.
What You Need To Make Instant Pot Bundt Cake Recipes
Electric or stovetop pressure cooker.;I own the;Instant Pot DUO Plus 6-Quart 9-in-1 pot, which works out great for my family of four.
6-cup Bundt pan.;If you plan to make desserts like this one in your electric pressure cooker, a Bundt pan works amazingly as a pot-in-pot accessory for the Instant Pot. This one from Nordicware fits perfectly in the 6- or 8-quart Instant Pots.
Optional :;Extra sealing rings.;The sealing ring is responsible for keeping the lid air-tight. Extra sealing rings are not only great to keep on hand in case your ring gets damaged, but extra rings can also help preserve the flavors of your Instant Pot recipes since the ring tends to absorb flavors of food cooked in the pot. I recommend getting a color-coded set;like this one;;so you can use different rings for sweet vs. savory dishes.
Optional: Bakeware sling.;While your pot likely came with a steamer rack trivet, this sling acts as both a trivet and a convenient way to lower and raise bowls and food into and out of the pot.
Want more Instant Pot tips? See all my;must-have accessories for the Instant Pot;in;this post.
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Is There A Pumpkin Shortage This Year
It’s no secret this year has been a bit out of the ordinary for everyone. The aluminum shortage has affected the availability of canned soft drinks as well as other canned items. But did you know the reason for the empty pumpkin shelves right now may not be related to an aluminum or pumpkin shortage at all?
I did a little research when I started noticing there wasn’t any canned pumpkin on the shelves…week after week.
No. There is not a shortage of pumpkins this year, the crop is just delayed. Yay! Raghela Scavuzzo, associate director of food systems development with the Illinois Farm Bureau, told Allrecipes, “…. the supply is absolutely normal”.
What is not normal was the rain delay at the time of planting, which in turn caused a delay in harvest time.
So, don’t despair! If you can wait a bit longer, canned pumpkin will soon return to the shelves for all autumn pumpkin-spice recipes to resume.
But! If you can’t wait until then or you bought a pie pumpkin from a local market and want to make your own pumpkin puree, I’ve got you covered with step-by-step photos and easy-as-pie directions.
