How To Make Sous Vide Smoked Pumpkin Puree with fresh pumpkin to add maximum flavour to sweet and savoury dishes.
Today's Sous Vide Smoked Pumpkin Puree is an easy, fun way to add another layer of flavour to your pumpkin-based sweet and savoury dishes.
Do you make your own pumpkin puree?
I don't remember ever seeing canned pumpkin in our home growing up, only the fresh stuff. Home-grown with the most brilliant orange flesh, we enjoyed them in a number of ways; my favourite being my grandmother's pumpkin pancakes/fritters.
She still makes them to this day and they are as fabulous to my adult palate, as they were to my younger taste buds.
Can The Colour
I am not here to knock store-bought, canned pumpkin puree - I've used my fair share in a pinch. It pales a little in the taste and texture departments in comparison to homemade, IMHO. However, it typically imparts a more vibrant orange, when baked into desserts.
I shared the 'recipe' for sous vide pumpkin puree back in this post for Sous Vide Chai Pumpkin Creme Brulee. It works well in a number of other pumpkin-based recipes. This time around, I thought I'd smoke the pumpkin for more flavour depth and interest.
Sous Vide Smoked Pumpkin Puree
Two Christmases ago, I was gifted The Smoking Gun. I immediately made it my life's mission to smoke ALL THE THINGS, from desserts to popcorn to cocktails. It's a great way to infuse flavour with a touch of the outdoors.
I've tried smoking the pumpkin before I cook it, but my preference has been to infuse with smoke, while it is still hot out of the sous vide. Unlike raw meat, which seems to do better with pre-cook smoking, the flavour was more pronounced in the pumpkin when smoked post-cook.
The smoker came with two sample wood chips - hickory and applewood - but you can also purchase the full size four-pack, which includes cherrywood and mesquite. With the recent legalization of recreational cannabis, you can get very creative with your smoker. 😉
Tips for Homemade Pumpkin Puree Success:
I recently ran a poll on my Instagram stories, to which 73% of ya'll who who responded expressed a preference for homemade pumpkin puree!!
For those who have not had great luck with homemade puree, here are some tips that have worked for me:
- Sous vide (or roast the pumpkin) for a consistency that is closer to its canned counterpart. Cooking sous vide also helps retain a lot of the colour, flavour nutrients and structure.
- If not using for soups and the like, drain the liquids that are created in the bag during cooking - again, this helps in achieving a texture that is similar to its canned counterpart. Save the liquid and use it to thin the puree, if it becomes too thick
- If you still find the consistency too runny, drain the cooked pumpkin using cheese cloth and a strainer, or a nut milk bag.
- If smoking the pumpkin, I find the cooked pumpkin better takes on the flavour, but don't be afraid to experiment to find your sweet spot.
- The sous vide pumpkin can be used in a number of ways straight out of the water bath - roasted, mashed, pureed, soup add-in, ice cream etc.
Ingredients
Equipment:
- sous vide immersion cooker
- heat-proof bin or tall pot
- vacuum sealer or zip seal bags
- smoking gun or other smoker
For the puree:
- fresh pumpkin I used Guyanese pumpkin
For the smoker (if using):
- smoking chips your preferred flavour
Instructions
Cook the pumpkin:
- Set the sous vide cooker to heat the water bath to 85ºC/185ºF.Wash, peel and cut pumpkin into small cubes. Place in a food-safe vacuum bag and seal. Submerge and cook in heated bath for 50-60 minutes.
- Standard puree:Remove pumpkin from water bath, snip a corner of the bag and drain liquids into a cup. Use a blender, food processor or immersion blender to puree.
- Smoked Version:Remove pumpkin from water bath, snip a corner of the bag and drain liquids into a cup. Add the smoking chips to the smoker and fit the tip of the tube into the snipped corner of the bag. Secure with a bulldog clip and smoke for 1-3 minutes. Seal the bag and allow to infuse, then blend until smooth.
- Save for later version:When ready, remove cooked pumpkin from water bath. Leave the pumpkin in the bag and shock in an ice bath for about 15-20 minutes. Then refrigerate for up to 2 two days, or freeze up to two months.
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