I have used fresh pumpkins and winter squash for pies for the last several years-- just started growing them this year and am looking forward to seeing how my home-growns taste. I think it's much better than canned, depending on the variety you choose. My favorites are the blue hubbard, Cinderella, and cheese pumpkin. I end up with several quarts of pumpkin puree in my freezer every year. My only tip is don't forget to drain it through cheesecloth overnight before using, or it'll be too liquidy to use in pie.

Another thing I like to do is save all the juices rendered during the roasting of the pumpkin (if it's a sweet, juicy one) and cook them down in a pan until they become a thick, molasses-like syrup. I use it to add flavor to pie, or put on biscuits, etc.

The syrup sounds delicious, what a great tip joannaw!

I think it does matter the variety of pumpkin that you choose. Last year just for the heck of it I used a store bought pumpkin that I had just for decoration and cooked it to see what it would taste like and the flavor was sorely lacking. I think that I am going to try the cheese pumpkin and one of the sugar ones next year. I need to do my homework first though.

There are two types of pumpkins grown. The big carving type and the much smaller squat sugar pumpkins. Store bought canned pumpkin is usually a mix of sugar pumpkin and sweet squash. You cannot home can pumpkin thats cooked and mashed. Freezing is fine, and it usually doesn't need any blanching. Even for that, freezing chunks would get rid of some of the excess water if the chunks were thawed in a colander first.

I think the pumpkins sold in the stores are bred for lasting and cutting qualities, not taste - but who knows. I'm going to do some research also. Mixed with butternut squash would be OK. I love BN squash. I wish I could find a good sugar substitute. Splenda isn't real good in pies. I tried it last year. I love the idea of cooking down the juice until you have a syrup. :)

I've had much better luck with Hubbard and Butternut than pumpkins for pies and other baking. We just prefer the flavor and texture.

I've not had to drain those but I can see it might vary from year to year depending upon water content.

Carol

Usually I roast and then puree, then drain overnight-- I end up with a lot of extra juice by the end of it, especially with a big squash-- usually about 4 cups! Guess it's different depending on how you're preparing it before freezing? As well as year-to-year variations in water content, as you mentioned, Carol. Of course, with my syrup thing, I'm highly motivated to collect any excess liquid. :)

I've done the "make my own from scratch" thing several times and won't bother again...... too much work for the end product, which was, in my case, better from the Libby"s can.

However, I just may have to try again just to get that syrup Joanna describes. ;-)

Who knows? I know...

Again, there are two pumpkin types being sold in stores and many farm stands. A CARVING type and a SUGAR type. The sugar pumpkins (quite small and squat) are used to make pies, etc. Carving pumpkins (big and elongated) are usually bigger and have little flavor of any kind. Hubbard squash is a bit watery. Butternut or even buttercup added to sugar pumpkins is a great flavor combo for all kinds of pumpkin deserts. To make a puree or even any kind of pumpkin mush, precook the pumpkins and/or squash, then cut off the skins, and run through the pumpkin screen on a Villaware/Roma food strainer. Depending on the hole size, the pumpkin/squash can be tiny bits all the way to a puree. My favorite is buttercup types as they are the sweetest and 'dryest' of most squash.

our local grocery had the small suger pie pumpkins for .99ea I quarterd them pressure cooked for 10 min skins fell right off and mashed perfectly it made a great pie so I bought another and froze some for later it really seemed so easy I thought why buy the can? oh plus you get to roast the seeds I did save some hopefully will have my own pumpkins next year

Here is a link that might be useful: pumkin pie from scratch

Save the seeds and you will have some growing next year. As kids we used to also dig out the seeds from the bigger pumpkins and these were rinsed clean of the pumpkin fibers, salted, and roasted in the oven. Eat shell and all..

When I make a pumpkin pie I use cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger. Also a can of evaporated milk and a few eggs. The crusts are partially filled and then placed in the oven and filled up to the fluted edge of the crust. They will sometimes split when baking, but its fine. I use a butter knife to test to see if it comes out clean, and then I know its done. Once cooled a big gob of whipped cream gets put on the top.