Step 1

Start by weighing your pumpkin. You can do this with a scale at home, or at the store. The weight will determine the baking time.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Step 3

Cut the top stem out of the pumpkin. Then cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds, and reserve them for roasting later.

Step 4

Once your pumpkin is cleaned out, cut the halves in half again to make quarters. These smaller pieces will decrease cooking time.

Step 5

Coat the flesh with a splash of olive oil and place on a large baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes if your pumpkin is 6-8 pounds, or 60-75 minutes for 8-10 pound pumpkins. Mine was 12 lbs, and took 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step 7

Let the cooked pumpkin cool until you can handle it, at least 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate the cooled pumpkin quarters and puree at another time.

Step 8

Use a large spoon to scrape the flesh off the skin. If you try to scrape the skin off the flesh, it is a lot messier.

Step 9

Place the flesh into a food processor in batches. Process until smooth, adding a splash of water if necessary.

Step 10

Place leftover puree into muffin tins and freeze. When frozen, pop them out into freezer bags for storage. Each portion is about ½ cup.

Step 11

My 12 lb pumpkin made about 10 cups of puree.