Learn how to freeze pumpkin puree for months! This method will work for homemade as well as store-bought varieties. You can then use the frozen pumpkin puree in soups or desserts.
Got some pureed pumpkin and only used half a cup for those pumpkin cookies? I know, now you don’t know what to do with the other 3 1/2 cups. You’re not in the mood for soup, you don’t want to eat everything pumpkin, because it’s honestly kinda overrated if you’re not the biggest fan…
I’ve got an idea: freeze that pumpkin puree! That’s what I do and it helps me to save money, to reduce food waste, to quiet that voice inside my head that tells me I’m an overconsumer and a horrible person…Just freeze it and forget about it…Or don’t, because you’ll need to use that puree within the next 6 months. But six months is way longer than a week, right?
Why Freeze Pumpkin Puree
Well, honestly because I usually make my own and there’s just too much of it. Here are some other reasons to freeze pumpkin puree:
- reduce food waste (trust me, the ducks in the park can only eat so much)
- it’s cheaper
- it’s super easy
- homemade is healthier than buying canned, but it usually makes too much – freeze the leftovers
- you can extend the shelf life to up to 6 months
- versatile – use in desserts, soups or stews
- it’s healthy – rich in vitamins A, C, potassium and magnesium, freezing helps to preserve most of these nutrients
How To Freeze Pumpkin Puree
Freezing pumpkin puree is super easy. If you have a cooked pumpkin – whether roasted or boiled, just puree with a hand blender to make the puree. Now follow these steps (will work for storebought):
- Use a large cooking spoon to scoop the puree.
- Open a Ziploc or another type of freezer bag and fill it carefully with the spoon.
- Once halfway to 2/3 full lay the bag flat and press the puree carefully to spread out throughout the bag.
- Be sure to squeeze the air out of the bag as much as possible.
- Close the bag.
- Lay flat in the freezer.
- Repeat until you run out of pumpkin puree.
- Stack the full bags on top of each other in the freezer.
Make sure to portion out the pumpkin puree according to your needs. For example, if you know you will be using only one cup for a recipe – pick a proper size bag and put only 1 cup of the puree in it. Then freeze as described.
Freeze In Ice Cube Trays
Another option to portion out the pumpkin puree is to freeze it in ice cube trays or silicone muffin cups. Simply fill the molds, then freeze for at least 4 hours, best overnight. Once frozen, transfer the pumpkin cubes into freezer bags and place back into the freezer.
How Long Can You Keep Frozen Pumpkin Puree
You should usually use the frozen pumpkin puree within six months, but I’ve seen instructions that say it can hold up to a year. I don’t have a huge freezer, so I usually use it within the next 3-4 months anyway. It stays as close to fresh as possible, without any preservatives.
How To Thaw Pumpkin Puree
Place the bag with the frozen pumpkin puree at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This will do the trick. To speed things up I sometimes place the bag in a bowl with very warm water – this reduces the thawing time in half.
Use In Your Favorite Recipes
You can use the frozen and thawed pumpkin puree to make pumpkin soup, in desserts like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies or even pumpkin bread.
Easy Pumpkin Recipes:
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to freeze pumpkin puree and learned something new. Whenever you decide to thaw and use it, try some of these easy pumpkin recipes:
- Flourless Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Easy Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars
How To Freeze Pumpkin Puree
Learn how to freeze pumpkin puree for months! And also how to use the frozen pumpkin puree, this will work with both homemade and store-bought varieties!
Ingredients
- pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Use a large cooking spoon to scoop the pumpkin puree.
- Open a Ziploc or another type of freezer bag of the desired size and fill carefully with the spoon. *
- Once halfway to 2/3 full lay the bag flat and press the puree carefully to spread out throughout the bag.
- Be sure to squeeze the air out of the bag as much as possible.
- Close the bag.
- Lay flat in the freezer.
- Repeat for as many bags of pumpkin puree as you have.
- Stack bags with pumpkin puree on top of each other in the freezer.
Notes
*When portioning out the puree, keep in mind that you will be thawing the entire bag and refreezing isn’t recommended.
**If you desire, you can also freeze pumpkin puree using ice cube trays. Just portion out, freeze and once frozen, transfer pumpkin ice cubes into a freezer bag.
