National Coffee Day!

Of course, we all know that there is a "National _______ Day" for just about everything....National Pancake Day, National Chewing Gum Day (which is tomorrow September 30th by the way), etc.  In case you unaware of the "National Day of..." that I am talking about, here is a link to the September National Days. 😊   And....today is National Coffee Day!  This is one day I will gladly celebrate.  As a matter of fact, I could make EVERY day national coffee day. Yum!

In honor of this very special day, I am going to share my morning cup of joy with you.  It starts with my wonderful Moka pot.  It is a stovetop espresso maker. I was introduced to the Moka Pot in 2007 when I was gifted one through a friend. Thus, my love of mocha and all things coffee began.

Anyway....here is how they work.  They come in different sizes: 3 cups, 6 cups, 9 cups, and 12 cups.  My pot is the 6 cup.  It is a 6 cup espresso...not an actual 6 cup in measure.  It is 6 cups meaning it is very strong coffee...6 espresso shots would be a possibly a more correct comparison I guess.  The actual liquid measure is only 1 cup (8 fluid ounces).


Directions:  Fill the lower portion to the air release hole.

Place the coffee filter inside.

Fill and pace the filter area with espresso ground coffee.  This is a VERY finely (powder-like) grind.  Regular coffee does work, but it does not produce as strong of a final espresso.

Place the upper portion on and screw it tightly.

Put it on the stove and adjust the flame to the width of the lower portion of the pot.  Or, if your stove is electric....maybe just turn it on high??? Not really sure since I have not had an electric stove in years.

Be careful if you decide you want to open the lid to see the process.  One time, I did this and the pressure shot coffee out the middle and everywhere.

While your coffee is percolating, place about 3/4 cup of milk in a coffee mug.  Put it in the microwave for 1 minute or until it is hot to the touch.

Next comes the frothing!  I have a hand-held frother that works wonderfully and is easy to store.

By the time the froth is complete, the coffee is ready to be poured.

Add in any flavorings that you might like.  I always add chocolate.  Mmmm...sometimes a bit of sugar if I am wanting it a tad sweeter.



Layer on the fluff (or whipped topping as it is commonly known) and drizzle the top with chocolate!

While I can not say this is coffee-house quality, it is sure close and SO much cheaper than driving to town every morning for my daily fix!

As for the amount of espresso I use: I typically use about half of my 6 cup espresso in my morning brew.  If it just doesn't taste strong enough on a given morning, I will add more.

Here is a link to a stovetop espresso pot on Amazon. This is the one that I purchased.  There are several styles available online and an actual Moka brand. 

This is the milk frother that I have by Biesse. Again, there are many styles and types of milk frothers from electric to battery operated.

Cinnamon Raisin Twist Bread

America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country (not sure which one exactly) did an episode on Cinnamon Swirl Bread in October 1998. I watched the episode on our local PBS station several years later. The bread looked fabulous and tasted even better.

First, I will post the recipe, and then I will follow with some pictures and hints! While the recipe is long and involved, the end product is well worth the effort  Without further adieu, my tweaked recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Twist Bread:

Cinnamon Raisin Twist Bread

Dough

The recipe creates a
very eye-appealing loaf!

8 Tbsps. butter

3¾ c. (20⅔ oz.) bread flour,

separate 1Tbsp. for butter tossing

Extra Flour for dough-working surface

1½ c. scalded milk, cooled to 110⁰

⅓ c. (2⅓ oz.) granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ c. (7½ oz.) raisins

Filling

1 c. (4 oz.) powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

Egg Wash

1 egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

Directions:

The Dough:

1.       Cut the cold butter into 32 pieces and toss with 1 Tbsp. flour. Set in aside to soften while mixing the remaining dough ingredients. Scald 1 ½ cup of milk and set aside to cool (110⁰).

2.       Whisk about remaining flour, sugar, and instant yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add cooled, scalded milk and egg and mix on medium-low speed until well-mixed dough forms (about 2 minutes), scraping down bowl as you go. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes.

3.       After 20 minutes, remove plastic from the mixer bowl, add salt, and mix on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of the bowl, 7-15 minutes. With the mixer running, begin adding the floured butter a few pieces at a time. Knead about 3-5 minutes longer until butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears sides of the bowl. Add raisins and mix until raisins are evenly distributed.

4.       Place the dough in a large greased bowl and use a scraper or spatula to fold the dough over, gently lifting the edge of dough toward middle. Fold the dough 8 times, rotating the bowl a quarter turn each time. Cover tightly with plastic

5.       Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Place a pan with approximately 3 cups of boiling water into the oven.  Put the bowl of dough in the oven, allowing it to rise undisturbed for 45 minutes.

6.       Remove bowl from oven and punch down the center of the dough. Repeat the folding process with another 8 folds, rotating a quarter turn each time. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the oven until doubled (about 45 minutes more).

The Filling and Final Prep:

1.       Whisk filling ingredients together until well combined; set aside. Grease two 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pans.

2.       Transfer dough to a lightly floured counter and divide in half. Working with 1 piece of dough, pat into a rough 6x11-inch rectangle. With short side facing you, fold long sides in like a business letter to form 3x11-inch rectangle. Roll dough away from you into a ball. Dust the ball with flour and flatten with a rolling pin into a 7x18-inch rectangle with ¼-inch thickness.

3.       Using a spray bottle, spray dough lightly with water. Sprinkle half of filling mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border on the sides and 3/4-inch border on the top and bottom; spray filling lightly on top with the water.

4.       With the short side facing you, roll the dough away from you (into a log-roll shape).  Pinch it closed, dust it lightly with flour, and set it aside for a rest while you prepare the other dough ball the same way.

5.       After a resting period (10 minutes), take the first rolled dough and lay it lengthways in front of you.  Using scissors or a very sharp knife, cut the dough down the middle.  Line the 2 strips of dough up side by side, pinching the end furthest away from you together.  Begin “braiding” the 2 pieces left over right, twisting it tightly.  Pinch the final end together. 

6.       Transfer the braided loaf, cut side up, to a loaf pan.  If there are any exposed raisins, press them into the loaf to prevent them from burning. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and return it to the oven.  Continue the process with the second dough roll. 

7.       After 45 minutes, remove the loaves and the water from the oven.  Heat the oven to 350⁰. Allow the loaves to continue to rise at room temperature until they are doubled (about 1 in. over the pan).

8.       Brush the crust with the egg/salt mixture.  Bake until the crust is well browned, 20-25 minutes.  Then, reduce the temperature to 325⁰ and tent the loaves with foil to prevent over-browning.  Continue baking until the center reaches 190⁰ (15-25 minutes).

Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove them from the pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Now for a bit more of the particulars:

First off, this was my original recipe until I typed it out for this blog post.  It is three written pages!

When you have your final dough ball with raisins evenly distributed, you will have a mass of dough that is not sticky to the touch.  However, make sure you do not over flour your dough.  If you add too much flour while you are working your dough, you will end up with a heavy-textured loaf.  Only lightly sprinkle your dough board or countertop surface enough to be able to work your dough without it sticking to your hands.  Use as little flour as you can to keep the dough from being sticky.

Here are some step-by-step pictures for the final braiding process:

Rolled dough, allowed to sit for 10 minutes

Cut evenly through the center

Lay pieces cut side up

Pinch together one end

Twist over-under until you reach the end and pinch together tightly

Place in a loaf pan, cut side up, tucking the ends under.
Allow to rise to one inch over the pan.

Hints:

1.  The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of nonfat dry milk powder (2.75 ounces).  If using the milk powder, you would use 1.5 cups of warm water in place of the scalded milk that I used.  I do not typically have dried milk on-hand, so I adapted the recipe to use the ingredients that I would normally use.

2.  If you use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1.5 tsp. of salt.

3.  If you do not have 2 loaf pans or just want a different "look," place the braided loaf on a piece of parchment paper on a jelly roll pan.  This will give the loaf a more spread-out look because it is forced to raise outward instead of just upwards as in a loaf pan.

4.  The main reason for the cutting and braiding is that it helps to evenly distribute the flavorings throughout the loaf.  Many times when you make a cinnamon raisin or filled style bread, it is just on the rolled-up swirl areas.  This cut and braid method spreads it throughout, on top, and all around. 

Hope you enjoy! If you have any questions or if any part of the recipe is unclear, please feel free to leave a comment, and I will do my best to clarify.

What's for dinner? Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have no idea where this recipe originally came from or what the original recipe looked like, but several years ago, I was looking for a recipe for sweet and sour chicken that was at least similar to the one found in our local Chinese restaurant.  Of course, when I pictured sweet and sour sauce, I immediately imagined the bright red...unnaturally red... sauce found in a large warming pan at the end of a bar at a Chinese buffet.  Actually, I did not even eat sweet and sour chicken (even on the buffets) until first having it at Hunan Restaurant in Jefferson City, Missouri. Yum!

July 2019
Hunan in Jefferson City, Missouri
Notice the bright red sauce

In my quest to mimic this delightful sweetness, I discovered that the red in the sauce was the result of oodles of red food coloring.  

After searching and experimenting, I found a tasty sauce that --as you will see in the photos to follow-- is not red at all. However, I assure you it is sweet and has the perfect amount of tangy sourness! For the chicken, I found a Long John Silvers copycat chicken batter recipe, adjusted it to better fit the fried chicken chunks for sweet and sour chicken, and voilà...Sweet and Sour Chicken!  

Important note:  Don't forget to begin cooking your rice when you start preparing your meal.  When I made this meal today, the chicken was fried and the sauce perfected.  I called my husband to tell him it was ready. He sauntered into the kitchen and asked, "Do we get rice with this meal?"  Whomp, whomp, whomp...I had totally forgotten the rice.

Hope you enjoy!

Let's begin:

Prepare the batter by mixing together all of the dry ingredients. 

Add in the egg and water.  

Mix until well blended. 

Look at those nice bubbles.  

This will help the chicken have the fluffy, textured batter.

Add in the chicken. 

Heat oil to 375-400°.  Drop in the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown.  Do not put too many pieces of chicken in the oil at a time. You want the chicken to have space to fry all around.  Fry until a deep golden brown, approximately 5-6 minutes.  Remove from oil and place on a towel to drain.  At this point, taste a piece of the chicken to make sure it is as tasty as it looks.  

Continue the process until all the chicken is fried.  While frying, make sure you take the time to dip a piece of the fried chicken into the sauce that you have prepared along the way. Be prepared to slap away the hands of those wandering through the kitchen attempting to taste the crunchy goodness!

While the chicken is frying, begin making the sauce.  


Prepare the bell pepper by cutting cored and seeded pepper into 1-inch chunks.  I usually use only red peppers, but I had some yellow on-hand and decided to try something new. You can also chop up onions in large chunks if you want to add them as well.  The onions are optional but a nice addition.

Place the sugar, water, vinegar, oil (1 tsp.), soy sauce, salt, and garlic in a pan and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Make a slurry of cornstarch and water. Stir it into the boiling sugar mixture.  Make sure you constantly stir the sauce at this point.  It will thicken quickly and you don't want it to clump or burn.  

Continue cooking and stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened.   As the mixture thickens, it will take on a more glassy appearance. 

After about 10-15 seconds, the sauce will be gelled.  It is now time to add in the vegetables and an 8 ounce of pineapple chunks, juice and all.  Stir it all together and turn off the heat.

Set the sauce aside until the chicken is finished.  Did you try your chicken?  Go ahead and dip a couple of pieces.  Cooks privilege.

When all the chicken is fried, it is time to call the troops and dish it up.  Place a big scoop of rice on a plate, grab a handful of chicken pieces and plop 'em on top of the rice, and ladle a healthy serving of sauce right on top.  Delish!

I had some homegrown zucchini that I fried up with the leftover batter.

This is a delectable recipe for sweet and sour chicken, and it is fairly quick to make.  It takes about 40-45 minutes from start to finish (once you know what you are doing).  Here is the recipe without pictures:

Sweet and Sour Chicken 

Chicken Pieces

Ingredients:

 ¾ c. flour

¼ c. cornstarch

½ tsp. seasoning salt

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1 egg

¾ c. water

Directions:

Mix ingredients together until smooth.  Dip chicken pieces and deep fry at 350-400º until golden brown. 

Sweet and Sour Sauce 

Ingredients:

 ½ c. sugar

½ c. chicken broth or water

⅓ c. white vinegar

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. salt

1 spoonful minced garlic

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. cold water

1 small red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces

8 oz. can of pineapple chunks

Directions:

Heat together sugar, broth, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, salt and garlic to boiling over medium-high heat.  Stir occasionally.  Mix cornstarch and water.  Stir into sugar mixture.  Cook and stir about 10 seconds or until thickened.  Stir in bell pepper and pineapple.  Serve with chicken and rice. 

Hints:  If the sauce becomes too thick, add some additional water to reach the desired consistency.

I have found that jasmine rice The Instant Pot Jasmine rice recipe found here is an easy way to make perfect rice.  

If you need the "red" to make it feel authentic American Chinese buffet worthy, go ahead and add in some red food coloring to meet your satisfaction. 😉

The Perfect White Rice in an Instant Pot

I have had my Instant Pot for about a month now and have found my favorite thing, thus far, to make in it...RICE!  It is so easy and has turned out perfect every time. 

In a previous post, I talked about making wild rice, but since then, I have made white rice several times and have decided that my IP is worth it just for cooking rice.  Being able to set it and walk away is wonderful.  It has worked every time to produce the perfect rice texture.  The original directions I used are found at Perfect Pressure Cooker Recipes.

Here is how I make Perfect White Rice in my Instant Pot:
Ingredients 
1 cup rice
1 cup water
¼ - ½ salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice under cold water for a couple of minutes to wash off some of the outer starches. Drain it well.
2. Place the rice, water, and salt (optional) in the Instant Pot.
3. Close the lid and cook at MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE for 3 minutes. 
   After the 3 minutes, use the natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then finish with the quick release.
4. Remove the lid carefully and fluff the rice.

NOTES:

• Rice doubles as it cooks, so one cup of dry rice yields 2 cups of cooked rice.
• You can increase the amount of rice just make sure you use equal rice to water ratio and rinse the rice thoroughly.
• Jasmine rice is my favorite white rice.  It has a wonderful texture.  
• I have made it both with the salt and without, and I don't see much of a difference.

Ode to the Instant Pot

Mmmm....cooking.  I really like cooking.  The smile on someone's face when you bring them that slice of warm chocolate cake or fresh baked bread is very satisfying.  I love to try new recipes, old recipes, copycat recipes, etc. Cooking brings me such pleasure.  Creating new dishes brings fulfillment. Visiting a kitchen store makes me giddy.  So, here I sit excitedly awaiting my newest kitchen appliance!  The Instant Pot!  For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Instant Pot,  it is a multi-function appliance that, according to www.instantpot.com , “...has 7 commonly used kitchen appliances in 1; Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice/Porridge Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Sauté/Searing, Steamer, and Warmer.”  

I first heard about the Instant Pot several months back when my mother-in-law mentioned having purchased one and really liking it.  At first, I could not justify one more gadget.  However, the taco soup she made for us during our recent visit was wonderful, and it got me to thinking that …..if I purchased the instant pot, I could replace my crock pot, eliminate one of my three pressure cookers, and get the rice cooker that I have wanted for 18 years...all in one device! After all, I had been looking for a new crock pot because I wanted to upgrade to a programmable one that I could actually set a temperature on, and it was going to cost $60-80 for the replacement.  As for the pressure cookers, I have three: a 6 quart, a 8 quart, and a huge canning cooker. I  will be able to get rid of the 6 quart, at least. I would be able to eliminate some extra clutter from our kitchen and get my coveted …rice cooker. 

It is a fairly rare occasion that I will just decide to purchase something for myself.  I love to shop for my husband and kids but seldom have anything that I want badly enough to actually buy for me because I don't like to spend money....translated....I'm cheap!.  A friend had gifted me some money recently.  Sunday, I made the decision to buy the Instant Pot.  I began scouring the internet to figure out what model would best suit our family and what store had the best price. I asked my husband and he was all for it, or at least he was until I inundated him with question after question filling him with far more knowledge about the Instant Pot that I am sure he ever wanted to know.. 

You see, there are several sizes and models to choose from – 3 qt., 5 qt., 6 qt., and 8 qt.  Then there is the LUX, DUO, ULTRA, and Smart Bluetooth.  So much to decide.  I read articles. I contacted my mother-in-law.   I talked to my husband...again. At one point I found myself backing out of it all together and trying to decide if I really wanted one at all.  I hate making decisions, especially when more than one decision will work.

Finally, this article by DadsCookDinner, helped me decide.  Before reading this post, I had all but hit purchase on the 8 quart DUO80. It was when I read his last paragraph that I made my decision. He had purchased the 8 quart but had reverted back to the 6 quart for his family of 5 because of the size. I knew that I did not want an item so big that I dreaded getting it out of the cabinet.  While the 8 quart would have probably been nice at times (and I even second guess myself now!!), I know that for most things the 6 quart will be sufficient. 

After much stress and debate, I hit the purchase on the Instant Pot DUO60 from Kohls.com.  After the discounts and free shipping, it was $89.51.  It is set to arrive tomorrow.  So far, I have joined two Facebook recipe idea groups and started collecting recipes that I would like to try.  There are recipes galore all over the internet.  Looking forward to my new Instant Pot adventure!

What's for dinner? - Chimichangas, Yellow Rice and Re-fried beans!

Tonight's dinner was another dish from one of our favorite cuisines...Mexican!  We eat a lot of Mexican foods whether it be at home or out at a restaurant.  We recently tried a different Mexican restaurant here in town.  I decided to stray from my usual taco salad and try some chimichangas.  They were excellent! They were not the usual ground beef or chicken filled chimichinga, rather they were beef tip filled (tiny steak bites).  

Before we left, I talked to the waiter at the restaurant and asked how they get their chimichangas to stay together when they fry them. When I tried to make them in the past, the most difficult part was getting the tortilla to stay shut. He said that they actually have a basket that goes around the tortilla that holds it together.  Great!  Back to square one because I do not have that wonderful basket!

Anyway, we tried making chimichangas again tonight. We ended up with our own little Mexican restaurant. JJ had his typical cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans while Jason, Savannah, and I had chimichangas, yellow rice, beans and salad topping consisting of lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and homemade guacamole.  Mmmm!

Here is how we did it:

Homemade Chimichangas

Ingredients:

Chicken, Beef tips, or ground beef seasoned Mexican style

Tortillas (homemade or large store bought)

Mexican blend cheese

Toothpicks

Oil for frying

White melted cheese 

Shredded Lettuce

Diced Tomato

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Directions:

While the oil is heating, stuff your tortillas with a couple of spoons full of meat mixture and about 1 Tbsp. of cheese.  Tightly roll the tortilla tucking in the ends (early in the rolling process) so that the stuffing does not fall out during the frying.  Take a toothpick and use it to close the side.  After all the tortillas are stuffed, then comes the difficult part.

Since I do not have the fry basket, I used 2 tongs to hold the tortilla shut. It is necessary to hold the tortilla shut for a while even though you closed it with a toothpick because it will expand and open up in the frying process. The toothpick only holds the middle so make sure your tongs are toward the ends.

Allow the chimichanga to fry until it is a light golden brown­­­­ turning it throughout the frying process.  Remove it from the oil and allow it to drian on a paper towel.

Chicken Chimichanga Filling

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces

½ packet of Sazon Seasoning from Goya

Green pepper, finely chopped

Yellow Pepper, finely chopped

Onion, finely chopped

½ tsp. olive oil

Chili Powder

Cumin

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Sauté the peppers and onions in olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a cast iron skillet.  Sprinkle the mixture with chili powder, garlic salt, and cumin (just enough to add flavor).  Add the chicken pieces and about 2 tablespoons of water (to keep the chicken moist).  Sprinkle the sazon over the top of the meat, pepper, and onion mixture.  Allow it to fry for about 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked.  Do not overcook the meat or it will be dry.  Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then stuff the tortilla shells.

JJ requested that I make yellow rice instead of our traditional mexican (red) rice.  He wanted his meal JUST LIKE the one at the restaurant, and this particular restaurant happens to serve yellow rice!  I did a quick search online and found this recipe at ehow.com.  Here is the link to the exact recipe.

Mexican Yellow Rice

 1 c. rice

 2 c. water

 1 tsp. crushed garlic

 1 tsp. olive oil

 1/2 tsp. Sazon seasoning by Goya

 1/2 tsp. turmeric  (I used ginger.)

 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Add the oil to a sauce pan that is set on medium heat. Add the garlic, sazon, and tumeric (or ginger in my case) to the oil as it is heating. Brown the garlic slightly and then reduce the heat. Add the water and bring it to a boil.  Once the water is at a full boil, add the rice to pot, stir, and return it to a boil. When the rice and water has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to low and allow it to finish cooking. It is important to keep an eye on the rice and stir it occasionally.  If the water boils out and your rice is not completely cooked, add a little bit of water (about 1/4 cup at a time) to keep it from sticking and to give it more time to cook. The recipe says to allow it to cook for 25 minutes, but I typically only let long grain rice cook for 18-20 minutes.  I just check it and see if it is cooked all the way through and soft.

As mentioned above, I used ginger instead of turmeric.  I had Savannah do a bit of research to find out exactly what turmeric was, and she found it to be an Asian plant that is in the ginger family.  That was good enough for me!  I replace the required turmeric with just a dash of ginger (I didn't want to over do it!).  It worked.  The rice was great!

With everything done, it was time to put the plates together...chimichanga smothered with melted white cheese, refried beans with a bit of shredded cheese sprinkled on top, yellow rice, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guacamole. Here are a few tips:

1. Do not over fry the chimichanga.  They will be extra crunchy if you do. (speaking from experience)
2. When you are draining the chimichanga, turn it on it's end to allow some of the extra oil that made its way inside to drain out.  
3. You can also add a bit of fire to the meat stuffing by putting in some hot chilies or sprinkling it with red pepper. 
4. If you do not have time to make refried beans from scratch, you can use a can of pinto beans.  Heat 1 tsp. of bacon grease in an iron skillet.  Pour in the whole can of pinto beans (juice and all) and use a potato masher to mash up the beans while they are "re-frying." Lightly sprinkle the beans with chili powder.  Add water to the mix if they are getting too dry and sticking to the skillet.  Savannah actually made the beans tonight. Using the canned pintos turned out much better than the "pre-smashed" variety of canned refried beans.  

Homemade Butter Pecan Syrup

We recently ate at one of the local restaurants that served butter pecan syrup with our pancakes. Everyone in the family thoroughly enjoyed it so we decided to try and make some syrup of our own.  I searched online for a recipe and here is the one that we tried.  The only thing I changed was that I only boiled the syrup for about 4-5 minutes.  We just didn't want to wait for the full 10 minutes, but it still turned out great and thick enough for out taste.

JJ stopped in the middle to let me take a quick picture!

Here is what is left!

I only made a half recipe which turned out to be just enough (with a little left over) for our family of four.

Pumpkin Puree

Homemade pumpkin puree is a fairly inexpensive way to enjoy some very tasty goodies.  A few years back, I decided to make my own pumpkin puree for the first time.  I purchased 2 medium size and one large pumpkin for $5 from a local farmer who was selling them in a plaza parking lot.  I took them home, and began preparing them for pureeing.  Of course, we carved all 3 pumpkins before cutting them up for cooking!

2006 pumpkins....soon to be puree!

This year, I decided that I wanted to make my own puree again.  After all, it is not very hard, and the end result is excellent tasting free pumpkin puree.  I began researching how to puree pumpkin.  In 2006, I cut the pumpkin into strips, peeled it, and then cut it up before cooking.  I cooked the pumpkin in the oven on 350 until it was tender.

I decided to "google" how to puree pumpkin and see if there was another way I could puree it (and to help refresh my memory as to how I had previously pureed).  I found some really good illustrated directions at thepioneerwoman.com.  Here is the link to the directions.  She also had a lot of really beneficial ideas.  First, the use of freezer bags that can easily stack and take up less room in the freezer was a great idea for me.  Last time, I used the 16 ounce containers. It works as well, but it does take up more room.   Also, turning the opening of the bag out before putting pumpkin in it really helped cut down on mess when you try to seal the bag.  I did not have the mess around the rim of the bag from putting the spoons of pumpkin in.

I decided to give the Pioneer Woman's method a shot.  Here is what I did this time:
Step-by-step Pumpkin Puree 

1. Choose your pumpkin.  I chose a larger pumpkin that was on sale at my local supermarket for $3.33 each.  
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Use a butcher knife to cut out the vine topper.  
4. Let your kiddos remove the "slim" and the seeds from inside.  Save the seeds for making toasted pumpkin seeds!  
5. Cut the pumpkin in half from the stem to the bottom and around.  Use a metal spoon to lightly scrape all the goo from the inside.  
6. Cut each pumpkin half into strips and lay the strips on cookie sheets for baking.  
7. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until your pumpkin is tender.  
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for some time in order to be able to handle it easily.  
9. Remove the outer skin by peeling it away.  
10. Cut the cooked pumpkin into pieces and put it in a blender.  
11. Puree until smooth.
12. Put 1 cup of pumpkin in each quart freezer bag.  I used a scale to weigh 8 ounces in each bag.
13. Flatten the bag to remove most of the air and seal the bag.  Lay flat to store in the freezer.

Here is what we ended up with:

16 - 8 ounce bags of pumpkin puree

Seeds for drying

Toasted Seeds - take about 2 Tbsp. melted butter
 and top with salt.  Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven)  until golden brown

 Tips:

• While the above method is good and worked just fine, I have to say that I think the other way was maybe a little easier in the long run.  When I peeled the pumpkin and already had it cut into chunks, it seemed to cook faster and more evenly.   
• I added about 1 Tbsp. of water to a full blender of pumpkin to help it along in the pureeing process.  It just seemed to blend smoother.  
• 1 full blender of pumpkin chunks for my blender yielded about three 8 ounce servings.
• I tried to use a food processor (small one), and it did not work very well.  The small food processor was taking too long.  I decided switch to my blender so that it did not take forever to finish.  It also seemed to give a more even consistency.
• I froze the pumpkin in the 8 ounce portions because that is the amount of half of a small can of pumpkin that you buy at the store.  When I make a recipe, I usually only need 1/2 of the can.  This way I have just what most of my recipes call for.  
• I placed my completed bags in stacks in my refrigerator freezer in a 9X13 pan to do the initial freezing so that they would freeze flat.
• The 16 ounce sour cream or butter containers work well for storing the pumpkin in the freezer as well.  They hold the same amount as a small can of pumpkin.
• I had no idea that cooked pumpkin actually tastes pretty good (sort of like a cross between a squash and a sweet potato) when it is baked.

That is about it.  I look forward to sharing some of the things that we use our pumpkin for in the near future.

As far as cost, here is the break down.  We paid $3.33 for the pumpkin (about 12.5 pounds) and $1.00 for the freezer bags (40 bags for $2.50).  Of course, we did have the propane for our stove, but I have no way of figuring that in. I know that it was not much though.  So...for the extras in gas, we will round up and say that we made 16 - 8 ounce servings of pumpkin puree for roughly $.38 each.  That would result in a can of pumpkin costing about $.76, and  homemade is healthier without all the additives and preservatives.  Plus...the kids had a great time getting slimy!

Then, there is my least favorite part...the clean up!  I would never win the award for "the clean cook."  I like to have a clean kitchen when I start, but I sure seem to get it messy when I am cooking!


1 Small Can Libby's Pumpkin = 15 ounces or 2 of my frozen baggies.  If you typically use a whole can of pumpkin, you can either a freeze a full 15 ounces in one bag to save on bags, or you can fill a sour cream bowl (the kind you reuse from the store when they are empty).  The sour cream/small butter bowl filled almost to the top will equal a small can of Libby's pumpkin (don't fill to the top because you have to have room for freezing and expanding).