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Pumpkin can be peeled cut in cubes and blanched in water, cooled and packed in ziplock bags to freeze.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can I freeze cut up pumpkin so that in the winter the pieces will be good for my pot belly pig to eat and not all smushy?
This is a very common question on Thrifty Fun. Here is just one of the many threads on it:
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Post pictures of your little pot belly guy!! They are so sweet!! Hope he enjoys his treats!!
The blanching and freezing should work. But freezing anything that has a high water content is still likely to be a little smushy. Its food value is still very good.
In order to do this correctly you need to blanch it first and then flash freeze it. After this, you can put it in zip lock bags and store it in your freezer.
My husband and I bought some extra pumpkins for this Halloween season. We carved one but will use the other others to eat. Of course we'll roast the seeds.
You'll want to cook the pumpkin first--cut it in pieces, remove the seeds, and bake it in the oven (at 350 degrees until tender--about an hour?). Some people boil it, but that leaves the flesh too moist and runny after processing. Baking will cook it and dry it out a little. You can peel it either before or after the baking.
Package it in 2-cup portions, put it in a sandwich bag, lay flat and freeze.
I find the easiest way is to bake the Pumpkin. First my husband cuts them into large chunks. Then I put them on a foil covered baking sheet with sides & bake at 325°F
for about an hour.(this depends on the thickness of the pumpkin & the size of the chunks) Just bake until tender. Then let cool for a bit and scrape the pulp our with a large spoon. Then whirl in the food processor in small batches until it resembles the pumpkin you buy in the can. If it is too wet, drain it before you package it for the freezer.
Cut your pumpkin in half and deseed. Faster than the oven.....place some plastic wrap over each half and cook on high in the microwave for about 7 minutes per side. The microwave does not dry it out like the oven will. Puree and freeze in amounts you need for your favorite pumpkin muffin, cheesecake or pie.
I wouldn't use carving pumpkins for things like pumpkin pie. The flesh is really too tasteless. The best for pumpkin pies, etc, is a sugar, or pie, pumpkin. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits and place cut-side down in a baking dish and bake at 350 until the flesh is soft. Scoop out the pulp to use. I've found that one average-size pie pumpkin will yield enough puree for 2 pies, or the equivalent of 2 small cans of pumpkin. Good luck!
Camilla
Has anyone ever used a regular carving pumpkin?
You should make pumpkin doughnuts with an apple cider glaze! It sounds gross but they are really good! I don't know the recipe but I am sure that you can just type it in to google!
When you cook your pumpkin, you can just wash it and place on a cookie sheet, I use an old one and bake it like you would a bake potatoe in the oven, depending on the size, poke it with a fork if it goes in smoothly, then it is done, if not what a little longer and try again. I got this from a recipe book from the 20's it was given to my mother when she got married. I think she said its Meta Given, or gibbons?
Yes. The price can't be beat, especially after (or very close to) Halloween.
I've canned it, frozen it and used both / either for soups and stews, even chili.
It also make a terrific jam (let me know if you want a recipe for Pumpkin Ginger jam. Check online for other recipes which would be suitable for gift giving? Chutneys and salsas and that sort of thing where pumpkin is supplemented with other ingredients and the flavour doesn't rest entirely on the pumpkin.
Can I freeze uncooked cubed pumpkin?
By Rosie
No because it going to be hard to cook it.
And it will be rough.
Does anyone know if you can freeze those little miniature pumpkins and reuse them as decorations again next year? I bought two dozen of them and hate to throw them away. I've had them outside and they still seem to be ok.
If you tried freezing them, and then thawed them out, they will turn to mush.
If you see that they are in good condition, you can cut them open, remove the seeds and boil them until they are soft like squash and make pumpin pies and bread.
Why don't you make some pumpkin bread and share it with family, friends and neighbors.
She's probably talking about those mini ornamental pumpkins which you cannot make any food out of to my knowledge. You can't freeze them either. We used to grow them in the garden and I just kept them in a basket as a decoration for as long as they'd last. They do last quite a while but eventually will start getting soft and even moldy and then it's time to pitch. I used to keep gords and the mini pumpkins long after the Fall so just enjoy them for as long as you can.
Not sure about freezing them, but here's a fun way to extend their use. After Thanksgiving spray paint them white, stack them up and decorate to look like snowmen!
I think freezing would retain too much moisture and damage the "tissue" of the pumpkin. BUT, has anyone tried to dry them on low heat or some other way, maybe like gourds?
If they are sugar pumpkins you can cut them in to remove the pumpkin seeds and put them on a baking sheet flesh side down, drizzle with olive oil, roast at 350 degree for 45 minutes until soft, puree and add no seasoning. Use to make pies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup or any pumpkin recipe;remember that you control seasonings and herbs kin recipes with freshly roasted pumpkin.
Can you freeze whole pumpkins?
By Ellen
I guess you can, but whole pumpkins take up lots of freezer space. It would make sense to remove the seeds and rind, cube the flesh and pack in freezer bags.
You probably can, but they would be soft and mushy when thawed. I have allowed whole pumpkins to freeze under the porch for my chickens and brought them in over night to thaw (in a bucket), so I cannot say how they taste. The chickens seemed to enjoy them though! If stored correctly, pumpkins will keep a long time without needing to freeze.
Can you eat pumpkin that has been frozen in the field and brought home to make pies?
By Steve
I have some pumpkins that froze outdoors. Can I still cook them and freeze them?
By Julie B
If you did it immediately, but I am inclined to think that if you waited more than a few hours to do it, they will be getting mushy and starting to go bad.
How do I freeze pumpkin?
By Stephanie G
Peel pumpkin, cut in cubes, blanch in boiling water and drain all the water and fill in freezer bags or airtight containers, use when needed.
How do I freeze pumpkin?
By janice from Coolongolook, NSW, Australia
I roast my pumpkin (seeded and cut to 4th or 8th wedges depending on pumpkin size) on a cookie sheet in a 375 F oven for about 30 minutes. Let it cool completely, scoop the pulp away from the skin. Puree the pulp in a food processor and spoon into zip-lock freezer baggies in recipe portion amounts (about 2 cups for pie) and put into the freezer. When using from the freezer, thaw and squeeze out the excess liquid.
FYI, cinderella pumpkins make the creamiest puree. I highly recommend using cinderella in pie recipes.
