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Skip the store bought canned pumpkin and make your own roasted pumpkin. Learning How to Roast Pumpkin is easy and you get to control what goes into your pumpkin. Did you know a lot of canned pumpkin at the store, isn’t pure pumpkin? It’s a mixture of winter squash. Shocking I know…so make your own!
I love fall. Partly because my birthday is coming up this week and partly because I love the change in the air, leaves, and food. Every October, I buy a couple large pumpkins and make enough roasted pumpkin and pumpkin butter to last through the fall and winter. I use it a lot and give it away to friends and family too!
You don’t have to can it, but I do. You could just as easily freeze it in quart sized freezer bags for when you need it.
How to Roast Pumpkin
I love to flavor that roasting my pumpkin before using it gives to recipes. It’s not a hard job to roast pumpkin, but I figure if I’m going to all the trouble of doing it I might as well do a whole bunch at once.
Roasting pumpkin is really as simple as washing, cleaning (save the seeds for this roasted pumpkin seed recipe), slicing, and roasting. Easy Peasy! 
Canning Cubed Pumpkin
Once my pumpkins are roasted, I process them for use later in the season. I dice some for canning so they last longer and for gifts. And some I puree for freezing.
I’ve been canning pumpkin that has been pureed for decades. And I probably shouldn’t admit that I still do it because the USDA came out several years saying that it’s not safe to do it that way. I try to remember to cube my pumpkin for canning, but I don’t always do it. (Be safe and do what’s right for your family…I don’t want y’all getting sick!)
Canning cubed pumpkin (or pureed…shhhh…I didn’t say that) requires a pressure canner. So unless you have a pressure canner then it might be best to skip the canning and just freeze your roasted pumpkin.
Can you Pressure Can In Your Instant Pot?
Sadly, no! You can’t pressure can your roasted pumpkin in that glorious Instant Pot. The Instant Pot cannot be used for pressure canning. However, you can use your instant pot for regular water bath canning of other foods.
How to Freeze Roasted Pumpkin
If you aren’t a fan of canning, but still want to batch cook some pumpkin, you can totally freeze roasted pumpkin! After it’s been pureed, place the pumpkin in freezer safe ziptop baggies. Squish out all of the air and seal. Label the bags and lay flat in the freezer. Use within 3 months.
Roasted Pumpkin
Ingredients
- Pumpkin
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash pumpkin, carefully cut in half. Scoop out all the stringy insides (saving the seeds in a separate bowl and discarding the rest).
Cut pumpkin into strips or quarters, place cut side down on to baking sheets. Bake for about 1 hour (this really depends on the size of your pumpkin).
Pumpkin is done when you can pierce it with a fork or knife easily. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Remove the outer skin/peel.
Once the peel is removed, chop into large chunks for canning and puree in a food processor (or with an immersion blender or even a potato masher) for freezing in bags. Or use immediately in desired recipe. (I can mine, so I put it in my slow cooker to keep it hot while my canning jars are prepped).
Pressure Canning: Prepare pressure canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Pack hot pumpkin into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 tsp salt to each quart jar or 1/2 tsp per pint jar, if desired.
Ladle boiling water over pumpkin, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a butter knife and then wipe rim. Place hot lid on jar, apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
Process filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 55 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. If any don't seal, place them in the fridge for immediate use.
Freezing: After pureeing pumpkin, place desired amount into a freezer safe bag. Squish out all the air and lay flat to freeze. Use within 3 months.
Use this in place of canned pumpkin in any of your recipes that call for plain ol' canned pumpkin (aka most recipes involving pumpkin).
Notes
Tip: Freeze/Can in amounts that you would normally buy pre-canned from the store (16oz, 32 oz, etc)...It will make using it much easier.
A Note about Canning Pumpkin
**Since I first wrote this post, the USDA has changed their minds and says it is unsafe to can pureed pumpkin. Use your own judgment if you decide to do it. I have been doing it for years and I will probably continue to do it…just wanted to give you all the info.**
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Do I Omit the hot boiling water in the jar for purée? I understand the USDA regulations fully. I understand that I am making a choice to do what is best for me and my family. So if I decide to freeze jars maybe I will. But if I chose to pressure can the purée I just wouldn’t want it to be watery. And assume the time would be the same? I fully accept all consequences of my actions as my family has been doing this for probably centuries. I am just unable to get ahold of them while I have these pumpkins ready to preserve. 🙂 can you let me know how you used to can it?
Hi Amanda, I don’t add any additional liquid or ingredients to my pureed pumpkin for canning. But like I said…the FDA has decided in the past few years that it’s not safe, though I still do it. 😉 w-
How do you can it? I know the USDA does not recommend it but I’m curious as to why since they don’t seem to have an issue with applesauce. I’d like to try it.
FYI…
From the National Center for Home Food Preservation!
Canning pumpkin butter or mashed or pureed pumpkin is NOT recommended.
Home canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash. In 1989, the USDA’s Extension Service first published the Complete Guide to Home Canning that remains the basis of Extension recommendations today, found in the December 2009 revision. The only directions for canning pumpkin and winter squash are for cubed flesh. In fact, the directions for preparing the product include the statement, “Caution: Do not mash or puree.” More information can be found here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/pumpkin_butter.html
Canning Cubed Pumpkin
Only pressure canning methods are recommended for canning cubed pumpkin. We have no properly researched directions to recommend for canning mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash, or pumpkin butter. To be safe, all low acid foods, including pumpkin, must be canned using tested pressure canning processes (Ensuring Safe Canned Foods). Older methods, such as boiling water canning for vegetables, oven canning and open-kettle canning, have been discredited and can be hazardous (Equipment and Methods Not Recommended from the USDA Complete Guide to Canning, 2009).
Wendy, just thought I would let you know canning guidelines recommend NOT canning pumpkin. It is about the only thing I have found you shouldn't can. You can read the recs here….
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/fall/pumpkins.html
from the National Center for Home Food Prep.
I froze my pumpkin last year and loved it. Good luck.
Just hopping over from Menu Plan Monday! Your site looks great and I can't wait to try some of your recipes!
Thanks Wendy! Been trying to figure out what to do with all the pumpkins I have. Thought we were getting pumpkin pies at co-op but nope they were all pumpkins 🙂 I can't wait to try the pumpkin butter! Apple butter goes over big here and I know exactly what the kids are getting in their PB&J; sandwiches