Is homemade pumpkin puree really cheaper than store bought? How much puree is in one pumpkin? Here’s the breakdown on DIY pumpkin puree!
In a Nut Shell:
Homemade pumpkin puree is slightly cheaper than homemade if you buy generic canned puree. It is a bigger savings if you buy a brand name like Libby. DIY puree is easy to make but takes time to cook and does require you to use it within 5 days in the fridge. I found that each pumpkin contains about 30 oz, or 2 cans, of pumpkin puree and is not any healthier than store-bought puree. In the end, I think I’ll probably stick to buying canned puree.
Autumn leave, cool breeze, and pumpkin spice everything is in the air! I usually stock up on canned pumpkin puree after the fall season each year but I found myself completely pumpkin-less after a spree of pumpkin bread gifting to friends this fall. After seeing pie pumpkins on display at my local grocery store it made me wonder; would it be cheaper to just make it myself?
Is Homemade Pumpkin Puree Cheaper Than Store Bought?
To start, I bought an averaged size pie pumpkin (or baking pumpkin as I’ve also seen it called). This cost me $2.68. A cheap investment for an experiment! My pumpkin made 4.5 cups of homemade pumpkin puree . By weight it was 30oz exactly. That’s the same as 2 cans (15 oz each for the normal sized cans).
Comparatively, a 15 oz can of Great Value pumpkin puree cost $1.47 in the next aisle over. The name brand, Libby, puree cost $2.62 per 15oz can. This means DIY pumpkin puree is $0.26 cents cheaper to make than to buy generically. Compared to name brand, I saved $2.68 in total making my own pumpkin puree.
How Long Does it Take to Make?
My DIY pumpkin puree took just over an hour in total to make, however, 45 minutes of that is cook time. It took me about 5 minutes to get the pumpkin cut in half and the seeds and strings removed. After cooking for 45 minutes, it took me about 15 minutes to mash the pumpkin and puree it with my immersion blender.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F
2. Cut pumpkin down the middle. Removing the stem is optional unless it is too long to fit in your oven.
3. Remove seeds and strings by scraping each half with a spoon. You can save the seeds for roasting or throw them away if you know you’re not going to eat them!
4. Lay each half face down on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes
6. Remove from oven. While the pumpkin is still warm, remove the skin and stem. It should peel off easily as cooking it has already separated it from the flesh of the pumpkin.
7. Transfer both halves of the pumpkin into a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until most chunks are gone
8. To make a smooth puree you can use an immersion blender. You can also use a food processor to achieve the same effect.
Storing Homemade Pumpkin Puree
If you’re not using your homemade pumpkin puree right away, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you plan to wait longer than 5 days to use it, you can or throw it in the freezer. Don’t forget to label it for easy identification!
Is It Worth The Time?
Financially, the savings is minimal. However, I did find that baking down the pumpkin gave my home a warm, fall smell and the work required was minimal. I would say it was worth it to me this time because I had time to make it and had an interested child that enjoyed this activity but in the future I would probably plan to buy canned pumpkin puree for easy storage and time savings.
Is Homemade Pumpkin Puree Healthier than Store Bought?
No. Nutritionally canned and homemade pumpkin puree from the store are the same. Neither the generic or name brand canned pumpkin purees contained any preservatives or additions from the canning process. Store Bought canned pumpkin is just cooked down pumpkin.
Do you prefer store-bought or homemade pumpkin puree?