From pumpkin to home-made puree! Discover our 1 ingredient recipe that benefits from all the nutrients pumpkins have and reduce waste at Halloween.
Afterall, it takes 3-4 months to grow this autumn veggie and it’s a shame to waste all that effort post Halloween! On that note… pumpkins come in a bunch of varieties and while they’re best known as Halloween décor, they deserve some love for being eaten.
Why eat them? Reduce Food Waste – No Additives – Nutrient Rich – Easy Recipe
It’s estimated that every year we throw away 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin food waste at Halloween – mind blowing! It’s one of those numbers that you can’t even begin to visualise and as a sustainable supermarket we’d love to show more people who to make more use of this veggie and bring that number down.
How to make a simple pumpkin puree:
- Chop off your pumpkin’s head and get scooping! Remove all of the seeds and stringy bits from your pumpkin but don’t bin them! Seeds can be roasted and eaten too or given to some wildlife. Be sure to check as not all wildlife can eat pumpkin.
- Once the innards are gone chop your pumpkin in half and place it on a baking tray. Roast at 200 degrees for around an hour. After 45 minutes check by pricking it with a fork, if it’s tender it’s done – if not, keep roasting!
- Peel away the skin from the cooked flesh – be careful though it’s obviously very hot fresh out of the oven so give it a minute!
- Add the soft pumpkin flesh to a blender and whizz away! If you find it’s a little dry add a teaspoon of water until you get it nice and smooth. Less is more when you’re adding water though, you can quickly end up with the opposite!
Ta-da! Your home-made pumpkin puree is ready to use with minimal effort and no additives. Save for later by popping it in the fridge/freezer. It’ll keep for around 5 days in a fridge or a few months in a freezer.
If you prefer visuals you can watch us make it by clicking here.
Pumpkin nutrition:
Pumpkins are packed full of nutrients like beta-carotene (converted to vitamin A by your body), vitamin C & E, fibre and many more. There’s a variety of winter squashes, the traditional Jack-o’-lantern is arguably the most famous, but they all have great benefits.
So what do these nutrients mean? They are essentials in supporting things like your immune system, eye health and skin health.
Vitamin A is important for vision as an essential component of rhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein in the retina that responds to light entering the eye.
Vitamin C isn’t naturally made by our body so it’s important to get it from food. It helps protect cells and aids wound healing. Vitamin C is also important for maintaining healthy skin, bones, blood vessels and cartilage.
The NHS provide a guide to vitamins and minerals if you’re interested in learning more or you can speak to one of our qualified nutritionists and supplement advisors.
Not sure what to do with your pumpkin puree?
Failing that, why not add it to a smoothie, latte, dessert pie or soup for all the autumn feels! Remember you can store home-made pumpkin puree in an airtight container for months in the freezer so if you’re still not sure just add it to your freezer stash until you can make use of it.
Like this recipe? Share your recreations with us! #EarthfareEats on Instagram to enter our monthly prize draw. Click here for full info.
