Do you still have some pumpkins sitting around? This used to be my story every year. But now I have the magical Instant Pot, so not anymore. Making fresh pumpkin puree is now so easy that I don’t have to think twice. And the best part is NO peeling or cutting ahead of time. I am not much into buying canned food and like to make things fresh. So this is my new adventure with the instant pot to make pumpkin puree, and I plan to freeze it and use it for the next six months. I have used this pumpkin puree to make my Healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins.
Watch How To Make Pumpkin Puree
Which pumpkin to use?
I used pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins). These pumpkins are less watery and more flavorful. But the same process works for butternut squash as well. Buy pumpkins that would fit in the instant pot you have. I have the 6qt, and it worked pretty well for a decent-sized pumpkin. If you are looking to cook veggies in the instant pot, check out this detailed guide about how to steam vegetables.
How to cook a whole pumpkin in the Pressure Cooker?
Get your instant pot ready with a cup of water in it. We are going to steam the whole pumpkin in the instant pot. You can place the pumpkin on the trivet or directly in the pot. The pumpkin I had did not fit in with the trivet, so I tried without the trivet and it worked perfectly. Well, the pumpkin fit, but the stem did not and it was too hard to cut the stem off, so I let it be :-). The advantage of using a trivet (with handles) is that you can easily pick the cooked pumpkin out using the handles. Isn’t it great? Just keep the whole pumpkin in, NO prep at all. I even removed the seeds after cooking the pumpkin. Save the seeds and roast them…yum! Here is my Air Fryer Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe.
Let’s make the puree
After cooking, you can check with a fork if it is done. Be careful while taking the pumpkin out of the pot. I drained all the water and let it cool a bit before taking it out. Then cut it into two, and remove the seeds. Then scoop the flesh out of the skin, it should come off very easily. You could also turn the pumpkin and first remove the skin using your fingers or a fork. Put the flesh in a blender or food processor. I used the Vitamix. I had to add about a cup of water to get a smooth texture. Add a little at a time, so you still have thick puree. It is important to note that, as we are pressure cooking the pumpkin along with water in the pot, the puree will have more moisture than the oven-roasting method.
How to use it?
This puree is perfect to use in a number of ways – pie (of course), muffins, bread, oatmeal, soups, cheesecake…..the options are endless! For an Indian twist, I added puree to the dough for making parathas (flatbread). That way I can add more veggies to my daughter’s meals.
How to store?
As you can imagine, one large pumpkin makes a lot of puree and there is no way you can use it all up soon enough. So I stored the puree in small containers in the freezer. It can be used for the next 6 months!
Check out other Instant Pot basics recipes –
Applesauce How to cook chickpeas? No-boil Yogurt Cooking Beets in the Instant Pot
