Homemade Pumpkin Purée

Use a sharp knife to remove stem and cut pumpkin in half. Take out all the seeds, as well as the stringy membrane. It's helpful to use the side of the spoon to scrape off the membrane. When pumpkin is clean, place flesh side down on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 400º for 40 minutes to an hour, depending on size. The pumpkin is cooked when you can easily pierce through the skin and into the flesh with a fork. Allow to cool, then spoon out all the flesh of the pumpkin and place it into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. If you are using a Sugar Pie pumpkin, typically, there is no need for straining. But if you are using a carving pumpkin, it has more liquid in it, and you will need to strain it. That is easily done by lining a colander with multiple layers of cheese cloth, then pouring your pumpkin on top of the cheese cloth into the colander, and allow enough time for all the liquid to drain out. Place pumpkin purée in sealed container and keep refrigerated until ready to use in your favorite pumpkin recipes.