Pumpkin processing day

I posted this as a thread on X but wanted to write it out in full for anyone interested.

It's that time of year. I've posted in past years about our pumpkin processing from our garden pumpkins. We had a great harvest this year with 11 pumpkins total before the freeze killed the plant, although one didn't ripen on the plant, and the plant was dying before the freeze but still alive in some ways. That was weird.

Note: Pumpkins that ripen on the plant are sweet and delicious for use. Pumpkins picked while still green and ripened off the plant remain bitter. We discovered this a few years ago and will only process pumpkins that ripened to orange on the plant.

The gap had a pumpkin in it, but the pic was taken
after that one was cleaned and put in the oven.

We're only going to cook 2-3 pumpkins this year, but that will still provide a few gallons worth of puree, especially when the rinds are 1.5-2 inches thick and pumpkins are about 18-24 inches in diameter as shown in the next pic.

Half of the first pumpkin to be processed for
seeds and puree.

Here's the process for anyone wanting to know:

1. Remove innards
2. Cut fruit in half
3. Bake @ 350 F for about 2 hrs (until rinds are soft enough to press in/maybe browning and even collapsing, which is when the skin peels off after it cools a little)
4. Let cool (and bake the next half pumpkin)
5. Scoop out rind and puree
6. Measure puree into freezer bags (we put 2 cups per quart freezer bag) and press out as much air as possible before zipping shut. Lay these flat on pan, and when the pan is full, put it in the freezer.

It really is that easy, but it is a long day and a long process. This year, we decided to buy a new Ninja with a larger blender container (72 oz) for this. We had been using a small Ninja with the largest (24 oz) cup, which took forever. This year, with the larger blender, it should go a bit faster, at least on pureeing and packaging side.

The seeds of all the pumpkins will be cleaned and baked also. For that, they need to be separated from the pith, then the prep begins:

1. Wash seeds in clean water only (nothing else).
2. Lay seeds out to dry on a pan or cookie sheet.
3. Once dry, put seeds in a large bowl and pour on just enough olive oil to coat them without soaking them. Start out light and mix the seeds. If not enough oil, you can always add more a little at a time. (The oil will help salt or seasonings stick.)
4. Add salt to taste (or other seasonings) and mix seeds to evenly distribute.
5. Put parchment paper on cookie sheet.
6. Spread seeds out one layer thick on cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 350 F until they start browning. Do not overcook!
8. Set out to cool, then pour into bowl.
9. Repeat steps 5-8 until all seeds are cooked.
10. Put seeds away (do not need to be refrigerated) and enjoy.

What pumpkins we don't bake gets turned into jack o'lanterns/decorations for Halloween.

Happy autumn!

ps--We ended up with 4 gallons (32 freezer bags with 2 cups per bag) of puree put away in our freezer for this year, from only two pumpkins. That's plenty, especially since most will be given away to family.