Learn how to roast a pumpkin with these simple steps, and conquer Fall the natural way, like the little baddie you are! 

Kicking the can and giving this homemade pumpkin puree recipe a try, puts the power of healthy living back in your hands. Before you know it, you’ll have loads of your own pumpkin purée for PSL (pumpkin spice latte, duh), pumpkin banana bread, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin-anything! Really, the pumpkin-possibilities are endless and I want to hear what recipe you can’t wait to make with it, in the comments below!

What Kind of Pumpkin Do You Use?

Making your own pumpkin puree is actually super easy and totally worth the effort. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take a minute to seek out the little orange pie pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins. Beginning in early October, you can find this variety of pumpkin  near other seasonal squash in the produce section. Pie pumpkins are much smaller, more pleasantly flavored and contain more pulp than their larger more standout sibling the Jack-O-Lantern or carving pumpkin. Choose a pie pumpkin that is firm and without blemishes. 

Roasting a pie pumpkin takes only 10-15 minutes of preparation time and 45 minutes of uninterruped time in the oven. Scroll down, to see my 7 detailed steps on everything from how to prepare pie pumpkins for roasting to achieving the smooth puree of everyones Fall food dreams. 

I like to have 2 or 3 pie pumpkins roasting at the same time, to make a large batch all at once. After pureeing the pulp in the last step, I measure out 1 cup of pumpkin puree at a time, into individual freezer-safe storage bags to keep in the freezer for future grab-and-go use. While roasting a pie pumpkin is more time consuming than opening a can, making puree in bulk by roasting multiple pumpkins at a time, makes it easier and quicker for the next use.

Is Canned Pumpkin Good for You?

While economical and affordable, unfortunately canned foods are a big enough risk to your health that it’s worth investing dollars into fresh food.

There are multiple schools of thought on whether canned foods are less nutritious than fresh foods, but I’m not getting into that today. What is most concerning to me, are the health risks associated with eating canned foods.

The canning process involves heating the can at high temperatures in order to prevent harmful bacteria from growing, and to keep the food from spoiling. Let’s consider what components of the can, are being heated and leaching into the food in the process.

What are Food Cans Made of?

In order to prevent food leaching, food cans are commonly coated with a plastic lining called bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical associated with hormonal imbalances and health risks like heart disease, birth defects, diabetes and even cancer. Ironically, these linings meant to safeguard our food, have been proven in studies to migrate from the lining of the can, into the food.

I know what you’re thinking. “I’ll just buy BPA-free cans.” The issue here is, BPA-free cans are still being lined with a replacement which is simply  another type of plastic coating. We should not be eating plastic. It should be noted, that there is only one company making the extra effort and taking on the additional expense, of avoiding epoxy liners: Eden Foods. A pioneer for BPA-free can liners, they use a baked-on enamel coating derived from plants and resins.

The cans themselves, made from aluminum or steel, are also a health risk. Aluminum is a naturally occurring mineral in our environment, but many of us are exposed to it most unnaturally, through the way we cook, the foods we consume and even through things we put in or on our body. Aluminum can be found in canned foods, cookware and aluminum foil (obvious, I know), processed and whole foods including baby food, medications like antacids and buffered aspirin, vaccines, baking powder, emulsifiers and anti-caking agents, ceramics, pigments, paints, paper, deodorant and heat resistant fibers, among other items. 

Aluminum is a known toxin to our bodies, however there is much debate on what levels are considered safe. We do know that aluminum toxicity presents as neurological disorders, brain disease, nervous system disorders like memory loss, bone abnormalities and respiratory problems. 

10 years ago, pregnant with our first child, I made a promise to stop purchasing canned foods, and I’ve never looked back or missed it! Making your own pumpkin puree is easy enough to accomplish during the next episode of Succession (is anyone else watching that?) and you won’t even feel the minutes pass!