Okay…  I’ve been looking at this guy for a week, now.  It’s a beautiful decoration and all, but I’m thinkin’ it’s time for some pumpkin action.  Time to get serious.  Time to eat!

So…  out came the big ol’ sharp knife and to work I went.

These pumpkins have the most incredibly orange flesh.  I scooped out the seeds, cut them up a bit, and proceeded to get them onto sheet pans.

I placed them on sheet pans, added some water to the pan, covered them with foil, and put them into a 350° oven for about 2 hours.  They were really thick hunks of pumpkin.

I had two sheet pans like this.

Out came the food processor and I started scraping and pureeing.  I didn’t use any seasonings at all.  I want to be able to use the puree for both sweet and savory dishes.

I have no idea how many cups that bowl holds, but two cups of pumpkin puree makes a 10″ deep-dish pumpkin pie.  I have enough puree to make more than three pies!  Or thirteen pies, I think!

Tomorrow, after it is cold, I’m going to portion it into two-cup bags and freeze it.

For a mere $6.99, I think I’m set for the season!