I get a wonderful feeling when I open a jar of my own pumpkin puree. Knowing exactly what went into that puree brings me joy. Save money and eat healthier!
Today as I was cutting up the pumpkin and setting the seeds to the side. I became mesmerized by the rich orange color and texture and I started thinking about all the goodness in that puree. The goodness of pure pumpkin, and the goodness of health from all the benefits of the pumpkin.
One (among many) reason to love pumpkins is the antioxidants. Beta-Carotene is the antioxidant that gives orange veggies and fruits like pumpkins their bright color. Foods rich in antioxidants are reported to help the body fight off certain cancers and diseases like diabetes. Here is one site that can tell you more if you want to learn more about the health benefits of pumpkins.
We usually stock up on pumpkins November 1st when the local pumpkin patches are liquidating after Halloween. We try to make the pumpkins last as long as we can by processing them into puree and storing the pumpkins in areas to prevent the rotting.
For our family we use the pumpkins to feed our chickens and our tortoises and sometimes the goats will partake. What I really enjoy is the puree though. I put a tablespoon on each bowl of dog food everyday. It helps with their digestion and they love it. If I forget, the dogs will just stare at me like I am forgetting something.
Occasionally I will make some pumpkin bread and let me tell you, there is a difference. Yum!
Here's a video my husband @daddykirbs made about the process we are currently using to make this beautiful product.
Do you make your own pumpkin puree?
What things do you like to use a that wonderful orange pumpkin for?
Thank you for sharing this time with me!
Thank you for encouraging me with your comments and votes.
Mamakirbs working daily @findingjoy
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin A, E, C and other nutrients, great to know you love to have this healthy food for whole family including your pet. Thanks!
It's amazing how healthy that little pumpkin is.
I love how much money we save making our own puree since we use so much of it! Thanks honey 😉
Welcome to the club. @daddykirbs is a solid steemian. Now following
Ummm
I love dehydrating it, takes up a whole lot less space!
We want to try that. 😊
We just gotta get one of those fancy dehydrators like @katedansyng :)
I have 2 dehydrators and can keep them busy!
Pumpkin puree, I think I have done it only a couple of times! But I do stock up on squashes and a few pumpkins as well at the local farm during their end of season sale!
It's a great idea, to stock up.
We have this one pumpkin left from our harvest. Time to try some pumpkin puree I think.
That is a beautiful pumpkin, still in nice condition.
Wow, looks great!
We also make our own pumpkin puree!
Last fall, when we went to our local fall festival, the kids got to pick out free pumpkins. Instead of wanting to carve or paint them, they wanted to roast them! Yummy pumpkin bread and delicious seeds resulted. ♥
That sounds like a lovely day and a yummy way to remember the day. I love the way the house smells when you bake pumpkin bread.
It was. ♥
Yes, it smells fantastic. We put our leftover puree in the freezer. I think I should get some out and make some more one of these days!
Great way to save money and it's healthy too! That is a big pumpkin. I will have to try and make my own pumpkin puree. Thank you for the post.
☺️ that pumpkin was so heavy, I told @daddykirbs "hurry take the picture, its heavy 😂".
I love pumpkin and mostly use it in its raw state for my evening salad. Do you also utilize the seed and if that's the case, how do you prepare them? It feels like a waste to throw them away every time and the next day buying pumpkin seeds at the grocery store, in their ready-to-eat state.
@rawadventuress, Pumpkin seeds are wonderful. I process them a couple ways. First, I rinse them well and remove as much of the stringy flesh as I can. Then spread them out and dehydrate them. The other way is to put them on a cooky sheet in the oven, with only the oven light for warmth. They dry naturally and can be p0lanted the next spring.
Sounds pretty easy, how long does it take to dehydrate them naturally?
@findingjoy yes, I make my own puree, then dehydrate it. That way 15 pounds of pumpkin barely fills a pint jar. Rehydrating is easy, and I can store a whole bunch in a small space. Great post