Wondering what to do with your pumpkins now that Halloween is over? A great way to use left over pumpkins is to make pumpkin puree. 

Pumpkin is actually really good for you. It is packed full of Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, and minerals like Copper, Manganese, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus. 

And get this. 

One cup of pumpkin provides 245% of your daily Vitamin A allowance. 

Now that you know how good it is for you, I'll show you how to make your own pumpkin puree from scratch. 

Directions:

Gather your pumpkins. Don't try to use a pumpkin that has been carved and hanging out on your porch for weeks. 

I didn't carve any of my pumpkins, I just stacked them next to each other for a more 'harvesty' display rather than 'Halloweeny'

This is a pie pumpkin also known as sugar pumpkins. They are smaller than the carving pumpkins and have a sweeter taste. You can use a carving pumpkin, the taste will just be a little less pronounced. But pumpkin recipes always call for so many strong spices like cinnamon and nutmeg that a carving pumpkin would do just fine.

Slice it in half with a sharp knife.

Scoop out the guts and cut out the stem. I have found that using an ice-cream scoop is perfect for getting all the stringy seeds out.

Chop up the pumpkin. I cut it into about 8 chunks.

Next throw them in your pressure cooker. If you don't have a pressure cooker you can lay them on a cookie sheet and cook them in the oven for 1 1/2 hrs at 375.

This is what I love about pressure cookers. I could cook this in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or I could throw it in my pressure cooker for 4 minutes! It saves so much time and energy costs.

When the 4 minutes are up, use the quick release method to release the steam and let your pumpkin pieces cool. I moved mine to a plate to cool faster.

After your pumpkin has cooled, scrape off the flesh and toss it in a blender or food processor. One pumpkin will yield anywhere from 2-4 cups of puree.

Blend until smooth. (If you have trouble, add a little water. Just decrease the amount of liquid called for in your recipe later) You may want to do this in a couple of batches.

Doesn't that look so much better than what you buy in the can? Why would you ever buy canned pumpkin puree now that you know how easy it is to make yourself?

You can use this puree for pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins or baby food. 

I am proud to say that I have never bought a jar of baby food. I love making my own baby food and knowing my girls are getting the healthiest food possible, not loaded with a ton of preservatives, salt or sugar.

 I found the cleanest way to get the right amount of puree into my bag is to put my bag into the measuring cup first then fill it with the puree. That way you're not scooping the puree then trying to get it all in the bag without making a mess. 

Label your bags and freeze for a later date.

Or if you can't wait...

Pull out your favorite pumpkin recipe and get cookin'. I made chocolate chip pumpkin bread. It has such a warm, comforting taste. Just perfect to eat during the blizzard of a snow storm we got hit with last night.

Drain your beans and use a potato masher to mash your beans up. You may want to reserve some of the liquid to add back it if you want them a little runnier. 

This is when you add in your salt. You'll want to do it to taste and probably more than you think. I used almost 1/2 Tbls. Refried beans are supposed to be salty, it's one of the things that make them taste good.

Now scoop these delicious, creamy refried beans into a bowl. They are 1000 times better than store-bought beans and definitely good enough to eat plain or with cheese on top. But if you can wait, they taste great in burritos and anything else you can think of too. 

I hope you like them. My family sure did!

TIP: Freeze the left-overs into meal sized portions to use later. Beans hold up to freezing really well.

Assemble the lid parts by looping the rubber ring around the support cover then pushing it through the rubber grommet (rubber piece in the middle) onto the lid.

Dump your food inside. Today I am making black beans. They have already been rinsed and sorted. You can make so many things in a pressure cooker. Potatoes, artichokes, and meat roasts are all things I have tried and have been amazed at the amount of time it saves. 

Dump in your water. All recipes for pressure cookers will call for a little water. The steam is what builds the pressure inside and cooks the food at such a high temperature so quickly. 

Fit and twist the lid onto the cooker and add the pressure limit valve. Notice how the 2 dots line up? They need to. This is what controls the pressure. It doesn't lock into place. It just rests lightly because it needs to be able to move to release steam if the pressure gets too high. Also, this is where you manually release pressure when a recipe calls for the 'quick pressure release method'. I hold tongs and push the knob a little so I can stand far away from the hot steam that comes out.

This red valve is the pressure indicator. It floats up to the top to let you know when there is pressure inside. Also, as long as the red float is up the machine will not let you unlock the lid or open it. This is one of the many safety features it has to prevent injuries. 

You just need to wait until the red pressure indicator is down. This usually takes 20-30 minutes.