Using fresh pumpkin as a substitute for canned

Several times I've seen recipes from the United States that call for canned pumpkin which isn't widely available in Australia. From research I see fresh butternut pumpkin / squash which is available should be a good substitute but I've found conflicting ideas on the best consistency and cooking method and I've never eaten canned pumpkin for comparison.

If I was to say halve a butternut pumpkin, remove the seeds and roast until it was easy to scoop out the flesh with a fork would that be a good substitute? I'm unclear as to whether boiling or roasting would be best, whether it should be puréed or somewhat chunky and if any other additional ingredients are required to best imitate the flavour of canned pumpkin?

substitutions pumpkin

Best Answer

Either boiling or roasting would work, but roasting may be less work (since you don't have to peel and dice the squash). Roasting may also give you better flavor.

Here is one recipe for homemade pumpkin puree, from Alton Brown, but the basic technique is very simple:

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and loose pumpkin... erm... guts
Roast the pumpkin, until it is soft, cut side down
Cool
Scoop out the flesh
Puree

Please also see our very own blog entry by Derobert, describing the process in detail. He recommends a second bake of the puree, to reduce its water content and more closely resemble the canned product. This will of course also intensify the pumpkin flavor.

No additional spices or flavoring are required; they will typically be added in the recipes wehere you use the pumpkin.

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Quick Answer about "Using fresh pumpkin as a substitute for canned"

Making pumpkin puree from scratch (actual fresh pumpkin) is easy, and yes, you can definitely substitute the canned pumpkin for fresh pureed pumpkin on our recipes. Substitute the same volume (1 cup fresh puree for 1 cup canned). A 15 oz. can is approximately 1 3/4 c fresh.

Can you raw pack pumpkin for canning?

Sadly, no. The density of pumpkin puree is too thick for the home canner to safely heat to the core and kill botulism spores. Yikes, just don't go messing around with that. Nor are you able to safely can pumpkin puree in a water bath or pressure canner.

What can I use instead of canned pumpkin?

For 1 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, substitute 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or butternut squash.

Is canned pumpkin the same as fresh pumpkin?

What exactly is canned pumpkin? There isn't much of a difference between canned pumpkin and fresh pumpkin puree, and looking at the list of ingredients on the back of the can will tell you that. It will probably just say pureed pumpkin or steamed pumpkin puree.

Can I use a regular pumpkin for puree?

Yes, you can! But it probably won't taste as good. You won't get as much pumpkin out of one of a jack-o-lantern pumpkin as you would a pie pumpkin of the same size. And it will probably have a different flavor.

Canned Pumpkin Substitute: Pumpkin Puree

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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