How to Make Pumpkin Purée in the Crock-pot
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to use my slow cooker. I love that I can fix something in the morning or lunch time and ignore it until dinner time. I like trying a variety of recipes.
I thought I’d start my “Slow Cooker Saturday” series with something that fits the season: cooked pumpkin purée. I freeze it and use it throughout the year in pumpkin bread, pie, and my latest, pumpkin waffles. Last year I cooked it on the stove top, and it was a bit difficult, okay, more than a bit difficult. It was a burden. What made it hard was the peeling of the pumpkin before cooking it. This week I tried in the slow cooker. ‘Why not?’, I thought. And it made it sooo much easier!!
*Update 10/12/12 Cooking your pumpkin is such a money saver since the pumpkin can be purchased for so cheap. Right now we can get pumpkin for $0.17/lb. $0.17 verses what they sell a 29 ounce can of pumpkin for at $2.99 (current Safeway price), making the pumpkin $1.65/lb. That’s all most ten times the savings. If we include the cost of using the crock-pot it goes down a bit, but not much. If you have grown your own pumpkin you are out the cost of your seeds. Cooking your own pumpkin saves an amazing amount of money!!
The Verdict: I didn’t even need to put it in the food processor to puree. To me this method saves a lot of time and steps. I don’t have to slave over a stove top, no peeling, no pureeing, so less to clean. I love it!! If your pumpkin isn’t as smooth as you want it, by all means, cool it, and puree it in a food processor, blender or immersion blender.
**Update 11/13: every pumpkin is different, and almost everyone one I cook in the crock-pot doesn’t need blending, but I had a pumpkin last weekend that definitely needed a little blender action. Also, the bigger the pumpkin, the more water it may contain, so you may need to squeeze the water out of the pumpkin purée.
**Pictures/post updated 11/14. Recently I saw my friend take her cooked pumpkin with skins on and just blend the whole pumpkin together~skins and all. I did that the last time I crock-potted my pumpkin. I still had to squeeze the water out of the pumpkin before blending. I like that it’s a time saver, and gives the purée a richer orange color (you can see in the top 3 updated pictures) without affecting the taste. I’m planning to continue blending the skins into the pumpkin in the future.
How to Cook Pumpkin in the Crock-Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin
- a little water **11/13 update-I don't use water anymore as the pumpkin has enough of its own that cooks out
Instructions
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Take your pumpkin, rinse, and cut it up into manageable-sized pieces. Oh! And be careful! **Update 11/13: if the entire pumpkin actually fits in your crock-pot, you could just put it straight in the crock-pot, and cook until tender.
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Scoop out the guts (I keep the seeds to roast).
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Put enough water in the slow cooker to fill the bottom, and place the pieces of pumpkin inside.
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Turn the cooker on low, and cook for 5-8 hours. (I couldn't get to it right away so it might have been 12 hours, and it was still fine. Ah, the glories of the slow cooker.)
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Take it out and let cool for about 10 minutes.
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Scoop out the pumpkin pulp from the peel.
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If the pumpkin is watery, try to squeeze as much water out as possible.
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Discard the peel (if desired, see The Verdict section).
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Purée with blender or food processor if needed.
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Refrigerate or freeze, and use as desired.
For more crock-pot ideas visit our Cookin’ with the Crock-pot Pinterest Board.
Have you tried…
Thanks for this idea. My only pot big enough for my pumpkin is being used for something else so then I thought about the crockpot! I always thought pumpkins were too expensive but never thought about comparing it to ounces/pounds! That IS a big savings!…. Although, MY 3 (white) pumpkins were even cheaper!…They must have just rolled off of someone’s truck/trailer and were sitting at the entrance of our street! Scored for free and in perfect condition! –One of thise “handfuls of purpose” from the Lord!!!!
Praise the Lord! And you are welcome!
Thanks for this! I’m new to baking with non canned pumpkin, and I didn’t know you could do this! I found this through the Works for Me Wednesdays link up. This is a great post. I have a small enough pumpkin from my farmer’s market box that it should fit into my crock pot- hooray! 🙂
Hi Allison. Awesome that you got some pumpkins from the farmer’s market box! Hope you enjoy!
I have done this method before and it works fine. However I am often wanting to just get the puree done asap so I microwave the pumpkin. It works for squash too. Have you ever tried microwaving and do you notice a difference in the taste or texture? All I do is prep the pumpkin the same way: wash, cut, scrape out seeds, then I poke the flesh a few times with a fork and then lightly cover the pumpkin pieces cut side up and microwave several minutes till the flesh is soft and tender. Let cool, scrape out the flesh and mash or process in the blender. Works great, the work is done quickly and there is much less electricity used.
Hi! The microwave method sounds like you’ll get similar results. I am just trying to reduce my microwave usage as I question their safety with our food. Thank you for sharing, though. It does sound like an easy method.
Sounds like an expedient way to cook pumpkin, however, microwaving foods of any variety, kills most all the nutrients in the foods cooked this way.
Hi Franie. I agree. I don’t use a microwave. In fact a year ago we got rid of our microwave. I am not excited about microwave cooking, but crock-pot~yes!
SUCH an awesome idea! I’ve baked pumpkin before, but you can be sure I will using this method one of these days. Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. Please come back soon.
Thanks Marsha! It really is the easiest way to make pumpkin purée!!
I never thought you could cook pumpkin in the slow cooker. And here I’ve been avoiding cooking pumpkin for years because I thought it took too long. Thanks so much for the informing post!
Hi Heather. Well this is a longer process (only because you are cooking it long), but it just requires the least amount of work for you. You are welcome!
Found you via the better mom, hope we can connect and link up, www. wisemommies.com LOVE the slow cooker for pumpkin. I’ve been making first solids for my twins and now I’m kicking myself for not using the slow cooker for their squashes…..still time to do so and will. Thanks!! Beth from wisemommies
The slow cooker is really the way to go. It makes pureeing food so easy because the food pretty much is pureed. Just stir. Give it a whirl with the immersion blender or food processor if needed. Blessings!
Such a great idea!! Thanks for liking up at Romance on a dime.
Last year I started cooking pumpkins for the first time. I love it! I actually cook mine in the oven. All I do is wash the outside of the pumpkin good, and put it in the oven on a cookie sheet. When you can easily pierce the side with a fork its done. I then cut it up, scrape out the seeds, and cut the skin off. I like to put mine in the food processor for a smooth texture. I actually did this with the small pie pumpkins and the big carving ones. Worked with both! Ill be doing this again this year as soon as they put them on sale.
What a great idea!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit! Hope you have a fabulous week!
What a great recipe, can’t wait to use it. Have a fabulous weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Come Back Soon! Miz Helen
What a great idea! I’ve never cooked fresh pumpkin, but if I am going to , using my Crock Pot is a great idea! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & come back soon.
You are a featured favorite on Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes this week! Thanks again for sharing, we can’t wait to see what you’ve got for all of us this week! 🙂 Mackenzie 🙂
Awesome! Thanks so much. I had never thought about just doing this in the crock pot. I hate buying a can when I could just do it myself. Thanks for sharing.
New fan here! I just found you through Homestead Revival. I love this post and hope you will come share at my Farm Girl Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-4.html
What a great thing to know! I love this post. I would love to have you stop by ‘Or so she says…’ today and share some of your great ideas with my readers! The ‘Your Great Idea’ link party runs every Sat through Tuesday. Hope to see you there! http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
I love cutting out the step of using the food processor. Thanks for sharing your tip!
I hope to cook a lot more pumpkins this year then in the past. I like the idea of doing it in the crock pot. What do you think, would there be room for 2 pie pumpkins in a 6 quart?
I don’t know. You just got to try it. It depends on the shape of the pumpkins, how you cut them, and the shape of the crock pot. I think I used two crock-pots at the same time, a two quart and a five quart to cook my pumpkins last year.
Yeah, what Judee said– you don’t peel? Do the peels incorporate into the final product? I don’t mind peel– I eat the butternut squash ones– but other people might, or it might not puree as smoothly. How do you do yours?
I scrape the pumpkin off the peel. It’s so easy and comes off effortlessly. Thanks for visiting!
Great idea. I hate canned pumpkin.. Do you peel it?? Doesn’t the peel get into the pumpkin?