I love a good pumpkin pie. By good I don’t mean a commercially baked pie sold by the thousands. I mean a good pie baked from scratch in your kitchen. Using a fresh pumpkin right out of the garden or from the local farmers market. Using fresh pumpkin totally changes the game when it comes to baking a great pumpkin pie.
Preparing fresh pumpkin is so easy to do. The finished product can either be frozen or bottled for later use. I prefer to bottle the puree and have it ready when ever I need pumpkin, for sweet breads, savory pumpkin bread, pancakes, waffles, soups, and of course pumpkin pie.
To start just take your pumpkin and cut it in half. Scrap out the seeds and place the open side down on a jelly roll pan covered with parchment paper. Place the pan in a 400 degree oven and bake until you can pass a fork through the baked pumpkin. Remove from the oven and let cook. Scoop out the meat from the skin. This part is so easy. Usually the meat just separates from the skin. Don’t worry if your skin is burnt. It is good.
Next just place the pumpkin in a blender or Victoria Strainer style stainer and puree. Pour into prepared jars if bottling and pressure can at 15 lbs for 1 and 1/2 hours. Let the pressure down naturally. If freezing place in desired freezer bags or cantainers and freeze. Make sure pumpkin puree is cooled to room temperature before placing it in the freezer.
So simple and easy and now you are ready to bake a pie. Make the crust and filling and you will have an amazing pie recipe. Below is my pumpkin pie recipe. It should do two nine inch pies. Or one large pie. If you have a small amount left over just add it to your pancakes.
Pumpkin pie is probably the most baked and eaten pie for the holiday season. This year I created my own pumpkin pie spice blend. It is amazing. I love it and am so thrilled with how it turned out. Mine has a touch of cardamon, a wonderful spice used a lot in other parts of the world for baking and cooking.
Kinda funny story, I created the spice and was so disapointed. I knew the amounts and the spices I wanted and when I blended it all I was not happy. At the time I had some health issues. Come to find out I had lost all my taste and smell. So I set it aside and didn’t work on it for a few weeks. I returned and blended another sample batch and wow. I was blown away. It is really delightful. It is avialable at on my web site.
So here is my pie recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. A good pumpkin pies brings back so many memories.
Enjoy,
Chef Brad~America’s Grain Guy
Pumpkin Pie
3 cups fresh pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Chef Brad’s Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 prepared pie crust
Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl or blender until smooth. Pour into prepared 9 inch pie pans. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve with fresh made whipped cream.
How to make Pumpkin Puree Fresh
The best pumpkins to use are sugar or sweet meat pumpkins. They are denser and creamier and the flavor is outstanding.
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