Pumpkin puree is simply cooked pumpkin that’s mashed into a smooth pulp. Pumpkin puree is a simple ingredient that can be easily made at home. The pumpkin puree can then be used in the preparation of several other dishes. The taste of pumpkin puree can be influenced by the dish you’re cooking with it. Lots of people ask if pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin is the same thing – they actually are.
Whether you’re stocked up on canned pumpkin or you’ve made a large batch of pumpkin puree, you’ll still need a means of effectively preserving it.
Just like your other favorite cooking ingredients, it makes sense to have sufficient pumpkin puree at home to use whenever the need arises – instead of sourcing freshly for it every time you need to use it in a meal. If you don’t want your large batch of pumpkin puree to get wasted, you need to take action towards effectively preserving it.
With that in mind, can you freeze pumpkin puree? Yes, you can freeze pumpkin puree. When frozen correctly, your pumpkin puree can last in the freezer for up to 5 months!
If you’re stocked up on canned pumpkin puree, you’ll have a safe window of about seven days to finish using it once opened – that’s if you keep it in a refrigerator. However, if you want it to last much longer than that, you’ll have to switch the puree’s container and store it in a freezer.
When you’re packing the pumpkin puree for the freezer, it’s best to write the current date on the packaging so that you never lose track of how much time it has been frozen for.
Freezing Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin is an excellent and versatile ingredient that adds more flavor to various dishes. One advantage of this ingredient is that you can actually make it all yourself at home. Pumpkin puree doesn’t just add flavor to your favorite recipes, but it’s also healthy for our bodies. It contains vital minerals and antioxidants that improve our immune systems. Other benefits of the pumpkin puree include reduced risk of cancer, improved skin health, and lots more.
With knowledge of all these great benefits, I don’t think you’d want to waste your pumpkin puree – whether it’s homemade or canned. This is why freezing is important. Freezing helps to preserve the pumpkin puree’s qualities and nutritional content.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Puree
If you’ll be using the pumpkin puree soon, you can just put it in the refrigerator to keep for about 4 to 5 days. However, if you want longer preservation time, you need to consider freezing. Here are some easy steps for freezing pumpkin puree:
- If it’s canned pumpkin puree you made use of, remove the leftover from the can and secure it inside a freezer-safe container. Allow some space at the top of the container for any possible expansion when the pumpkin puree is frozen. Failure to leave space for expansion will cause the pumpkin puree to pour over the sides of the container and mess up your freezer.
- If you don’t want to freeze the pumpkin puree in containers, you can freeze it in ice cube trays. Make sure you pay attention to how much pumpkin puree is going into the cubes so that you can know exactly what to take when you want to cook later. After the pumpkin is frozen into ice cubes, remove the cubes and secure them in a sealable freezer-safe bag. Place the freezer-safe bag in the freezer and leave it in till you need it.
- Keep track of how long the pumpkin puree has spent in the freezer by writing the date on the bag before freezing it. It is best to use the pumpkin puree within 3 months of freezing.
If you can follow these steps correctly, you’ll be able to preserve your pumpkin puree for long enough.
How to Defrost Frozen Pumpkin Puree
After being frozen for a while, you’ll eventually need to pull the frozen pumpkin puree out of the puree and use it in some recipe. Defrosting frozen pumpkin puree isn’t a complex process – it’s pretty simple.
You can leave the frozen pumpkin puree to defrost in a refrigerator. However, you need to be aware that this method could take a lot of hours. It is advisable to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. This way, you’ll be waking up to your totally thawed pumpkin puree, and you can start cooing right away.
If you don’t want to wait that long for the fridge to thaw your frozen pumpkin puree, you can thaw in warm water. Simply submerge the container or freezer-safe bag in a bowl of sufficient warm water and leave it there for about an hour.
After your frozen pumpkin puree has thawed – either by refrigerator method or submerging in warm water – make sure you use it immediately. Further exposure of the thawed pumpkin puree to room temperature will result in it becoming spoiled.
At room temperature, bacteria can grow and multiply in food items that have been left out for long. You should also avoid refreezing pumpkin puree that has just been thawed. You should only thaw a portion of the frozen pumpkin puree that you can finish at once.
What to Do with Leftover Pumpkin Puree
There are many different things you can do with leftover pumpkin puree if you don’t want to freeze it. This way, the pumpkin puree wouldn’t have to be wasted. You can make a DIY pumpkin face mask. This face mask is really good for you skin’s health s it contains lots of vitamin A. Other uses include: pumpkin spice cream cheese spread, spicy pumpkin hummus, pumpkin raisin oatmeal, and lots more.
How Long Can You Keep Frozen Pumpkin Puree?
If kept in the refrigerator, you can keep frozen pumpkin puree for about one week. But refrigeration is usually for small quantities of pumpkin puree that you’re planning to use soon. Otherwise, you’ll need to preserve it in a freezer, which gives you up to 5 months of safe storage.