Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Choose a firm ‘sugar’ or ‘pie’ pumpkin that weighs about 4 lbs.  If you can’t find this type of pumpkin, use a sweet winter squash like butternut. Begin by washing any dirt off the pumpkin and drying thoroughly. Cut a circle around the stem and pull the top off, just as if you were doing a jack-o-lantern.

Cut the pumpkin down the middle and pull apart the halves.  Scoop out the stringy gooey stuff along with the seeds and set aside.

Cut the pumpkin down the middle and pull apart the halves.  Scoop out the stringy gooey stuff along with the seeds and set aside.

Peel the pumpkin, separate the seeds, and boil the parts for 25 minutes of boiling, or until tender. The pumpkin should be very soft and slightly darker in color.

The pumpkin can now be pureed in a food processor or mashed with a pastry blender depending on how smooth you want it.

The seeds can be washed, seasoned, and pan or oven toasted for a yummy and healthy snack.  (I sprinkled mine with a chipotle season-all.)

I got 2 cups of pumpkin puree from each of my 4 lb pumpkins- about equal to one can from each, divided the puree into three ziplocks and stuck them in the freezer, ready for any recipe from pies to soup.

Enjoy this Fresh Pumpkin Puree in Matt’s Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe.

This scrumptious vegan recipe is brought to you by the No Meat Athlete started in 2009 as a simple blog for founder Matt Frazier to journal his transition to a vegetarian (now vegan) diet while training to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon. The No Meat Athlete offers invaluable resource for any plant-based athlete looking for inspiration, training tips, nutrition information, and vegan recipes to fuel an active lifestyle.

Find more recipes from Matt at the No Meat Athlete here and on Facebook.