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What's the best way to substitute fresh pumpkin for canned pumpkin?

  • The pumpkin pie recipe I've used for years calls for a 15 oz. can of canned pumpkin.  This year, I bought a few fresh pie pumpkins and decided to make my pie from scratch. Should I just cook the pumpkin and measure out 15 ounces, or do I need to add something extra?  Is 15 oz. canned pumpkin equivalent to the same amount of fresh pumpkin?

  • Answer:

    Canned pumpkin is simply cooked pumpkin. To substitute fresh pumpkin, all you do is cook your pumpkin and scoop out 15 ounces (about two cups) of pumpkin flesh. You open it up and scoop out the seeds (which can themselves be roasted for a tasty snack). You can cook the pumpkin in a lot of different ways: steam it, boil it, roast it, microwave it. Anything that gets it hot. Cook it until it is soft. (Roasting it can remove some water, condensing the flavor, and produce some nice caramelized flavors.) Microwaving it is probably the easiest. Peel it, cut it into cubes, put it in a bowl. Covering with plastic wrap makes it go a bit faster. Stir the cubes every few minutes for even cooking. It's gonna take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on your squash and your microwave, so keep an eye on it. When done, mash it with a fork or potato masher (or, best of all, a food mill, should you happen to have one). Note that you'll want to seek out an eating pumpkin, not one for display or for jack o'lanterns. Those tend to be tasteless and stringy. When in doubt, go to a farmer's market and ask the farmer which ones are appropriate. (I happen to like the Blue Hubbard.) Also note that this concept works for any winter squash: acorn, butternut, delicata, etc. You can substitute any of them in any recipe calling for pumpkin. (I think butternut goes especially well.) And as notes, this is a substitute for canned pumpkin, not for canned pumpkin pie filling. That contains milk, eggs, sugar, and spices, and is intended to be dumped directly into a crust with no additions. This is to be used in pumpkin pie recipes calling for canned pumpkin.

Joshua Engel at Quora Visit the source

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Fresh pumpkin usually has too much moisture in it to substitute exactly for canned by weight until you reduce some of that moisture.  And not all pumpkins are created equal, even those labeled pie pumpkins. I've had better success using butternut squash, roasting it cut in half and then scooping it away from the peel than using pumpkins, though if you use pumpkin, roasting is better since it helps to get rid of some of the moisture.  Something they don't show on those cans of pumpkin is that it's not pumpkin, but some other squash like butternut inside. That is why it's drier and creamier than trying to use real pumpkins. If you do use fresh pumpkin, use a little less liquid than called for, maybe a tablespoon or two.

'Dominique Keith

You need to carmelize the pumpkin to match the flavor intensity of canned, which is heated to a high temperature in the canning process.   The quickest way to do that is to peel (optional actually) the pumpkin, dice it, and put it in a pressure cooker with about a quarter cup of water, a stick of butter, and a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda. Cook under high pressure for 20 minutes, release, and purée the results (use a blender if you didn't peel the pumpkin).   Voila, fresh canned pumpkin! Source: a variation inspired by Carmelized Carrot Soup from "Modernist Cuisine at Home"

Michael Lee

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