Pumpkin puree from scratch, frozen in one-cup portions

Canned pumpkin is reliable, but pie pumpkins are everywhere this time of year, and one afternoon of roasting gives you puree for a long run of breads, muffins, soups and pies.

The part that makes it worth doing is freezing it in measured portions. Most recipes call for a cup or two, and a frozen block of the wrong size means thawing more than you need. That’s what one-cup cubes are for.

Use pie pumpkins, not carving pumpkins

The smaller “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins are the ones to cook. They’re sweeter and less stringy than the big carving pumpkins. Choose ones that feel heavy for their size, with firm rinds and no soft spots or cracks.

A pumpkin that has been carved, painted or left out as decoration is not for eating. Start with pumpkins bought to cook.

Roast it

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Wash the outside of the pumpkin and cut off the stem.
3. Set it on a cutting board that won’t slide, and cut it in half from top to bottom with a large, sharp knife, keeping your other hand clear of the blade.
4. Scoop out the seeds and strings with a sturdy spoon. Save the seeds for roasting if you like.
5. Lay the halves cut side down on the pan and roast until a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance, usually 45 minutes to an hour depending on size.
6. Let them cool until you can handle them, then scoop the flesh away from the skin.

Roast the seeds while you wait

While the pumpkin roasts, rinse the seeds in a strainer and pull off the strings. Pat them dry and toss them with a little oil and salt. When the pumpkin comes out, lower the oven to 325°F and roast the seeds in a single layer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until they’re golden and crisp.

Blend it

Blend the flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth, or use an immersion blender in a deep bowl. Add no water unless the blades can’t turn, and then only a spoonful at a time.

Cool it quickly

Don’t leave the warm puree on the counter to cool. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir every few minutes until it’s cool.

Drain it if it’s wet

Fresh puree is often wetter than canned. To thicken it, line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, add the cooled puree and let it drain in the fridge for an hour or two, until it mounds on a spoon like canned pumpkin. The liquid that drains off can go into soup. If the puree is already thick, move straight on to freezing.

Freeze in one-cup portions

1. Spoon the cooled puree into one-cup silicone molds, filling each to the one-cup line.
2. Cover with the lids and freeze until solid, usually overnight.
3. Pop the cubes out and move them into a gallon freezer bag. Press out the air and seal it.
4. Label the bag “Pumpkin puree, 1 cup each” with the date, and store it lying down so the cubes sit in one layer and come out one at a time.

The molds are then free for the next batch.

If you’d rather skip the molds, pack measured portions into rigid freezer containers with half an inch of headspace, or into zip bags pressed thin and frozen lying down, then stack them once they’re solid.

Thaw and use

Thaw cubes overnight in the fridge, or thaw them in the microwave on the defrost setting and use the puree right away. Stir before using, since thawed puree can separate a little. If it looks watery, drain it in the cheesecloth again for a few minutes.

A 15-ounce can of pumpkin holds about 1 3/4 cups. For a recipe written for one can, use two cubes and hold back about a quarter cup.

What to do with a cube

One cube is a cup of puree, which fits most everyday recipes:

• Pumpkin bread or muffins, which usually call for one cup or close to it.
• Oatmeal, with a spoonful stirred in along with cinnamon.
• Pancakes or waffles, with a half cup worked into the batter.
• Soup, with a cube or two simmered into broth with onion and a little cream.
• Pasta sauce, with a cup stirred into a pan of sautéed garlic, broth and parmesan.

Freeze it, don’t can it

Home canning isn’t a safe way to keep pumpkin puree. Extension services from Penn State and Oregon State note that there are no tested methods for canning mashed or pureed pumpkin, because the puree is too dense to be sure the heat reaches the center. The freezer is the safe way to keep it.

What to actually buy

The molds. Two one-cup silicone freezer trays with lids, with fill lines at a half cup and one cup and a steel-reinforced rim, so a full tray doesn’t fold on the way to the freezer.

The cheesecloth. Grade 90 unbleached cotton cheesecloth, 36 square feet, fine enough to hold back the puree while the water drains, and washable for the next batch.

The strainers. A set of three stainless mesh strainers; the largest, at almost 8 inches across, sits over a mixing bowl to hold the cheesecloth.

The bags. Gallon freezer bags with a double zipper, 90 count, for keeping the frozen cubes once they’re out of the molds.

Who this is not for

• If you bake with pumpkin once a year, a can is the sensible choice.
• If you don’t have a food processor, blender or immersion blender, a potato masher works, but the puree will be less smooth for pie.
• If all you have are Halloween carving pumpkins, roast the seeds on carving night and compost the shells once the holiday is over, after removing any candles and wax.

Start on any Monday

This week, buy two or three small pie pumpkins and set aside an afternoon. Clear room in the freezer for one gallon bag.

Roast, blend, cool, drain and freeze. Once the cubes are bagged, the molds are ready for the next batch, or for soup.