How to Dehydrate Pumpkin and Make Pumpkin Powder

The pantry shelves are lined with different varieties of pumpkins and winter squash from our harvest and we have enjoyed being able to eat fresh from the garden during this restful season of winter. Now February is upon us, and this is the time of year I need to start thinking of some different ways to preserve my pumpkins and winter squash harvest.

Pumpkins and winter squash are known to be good keepers on their own if they have been stored properly, but 3-4 months is usually when most long term storage varieties will start to decline. So obviously I want to get those stored away before they start to rot and end up in the compost bin. You can of course freeze, pressure can, freeze dry or just use it up in recipes, but my new preferred preservation method is dehydrating it and turning it into a nutrient dense and flavor packed pumpkin powder!

I have been experimenting with turning much of my dehydrated produce into powders this year. Apple powder, zucchini powder, leafy green powder, tomato powder, green leek powder, and now pumpkin powder to name a few! Having dehydrated powders on hand is such a convenient way to not only add flavor to your cooking and baking, but to also give it a nutritional boost!

I am pretty much the only one in my family that really enjoys eating pumpkin or winter squash. Therefore, keeping pumpkin powder handy to sneak into soups, stews, and sauces is an easy way to add some extra nutrition for your loved ones. They won’t even notice, I promise. No sneakiness needed with the chickens though, they love it too:)

What Type of Pumpkins Can I Use?

You can use any type of edible pumpkin or winter squash variety. If you are unable to grow your own pumpkins and winter squash, you can check local farmers markets for some fun varieties you won’t see at your local grocery store!

Some good varieties to use include…

• Sugar Pie
• Sweet Meat
• Winter Luxury
• Long Island Cheese
• Jarrahdale
• Butternut Squash

Why Make Pumpkin Powder?

Pumpkin is an amazing source of nutrition. It is packed with vitamin A, C, and fiber and much more so of course it is a good idea to incorporate this superfood into your your family’s diet. Having pumpkin powder on hand is the easiest and most convenient way to do just that for my family. Not to mention it takes up way less space in the pantry than the whole fresh pumpkin or even canned pumpkin. It is also less wasteful because you can choose to rehydrate only what you need for the recipe your making. No more half full cans left rotting away in the back of your fridge!

How to Use Pumpkin Powder

Rehydrate into Puree

1. Add 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup of pumpkin powder
2. Stir and let sit for 10-15 minutes
3. You just made pumpkin puree!

Use pumpkin puree as you normally would for all your cooking and baking recipes such as pumpkin rolls, pumpkin doughnuts, and of course pumpkin pie!

Use Powder Directly in Recipes

You can easily add some to flavor or some extra nutrition to what you are cooking or baking…

• sprinkle over oatmeal
• add to homemade granola
• add to soups and stews (it’s really good in chili!)
• add to tomato based sauces
• add to pancakes, waffles or muffins
• use in pumpkin lattes
• can use as a flour substitute for 1/4 of the flour called for in baking recipes such as pumpkin bread
• you can even mix into your dog’s food. Pumpkin is great for their health too!

How to Dehydrate Pumpkin and Make Pumpkin Powder

There are actually two ways you can dehydrate pumpkins and winter squash. There is a cooked and raw method, but I am going to show you the cooked method here. I have personally only used the cooked method up to this point and it has worked amazingly well and just seems easier to me, but you can decide which method will work better for you.

Tools You May Need

• baking sheet for roasting pumpkin (I love these baking sheet liners)
• immersion blender for making puree (or use a regular blender)
• dehydrator
• fruit leather trays (or use parchment paper on top of regular trays)
• high powered blender (if blending into powder)
• glass mason jar with lid for storage

Instructions

Prepare Pumpkin For Roasting

1. Wash pumpkin to make sure all dirt is removed from skin.
2. Remove top and cut down the center of pumpkin from top to bottom.
3. Scrap out the guts and seeds using a spoon. Save the seeds for roasting pumpkin seeds!
4. Place both halves face down onto a baking sheet and cover with about a 1/2 inch of water.
5. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until skin is completely soft.

Prepare Pumpkin Puree

1. Remove skins from pumpkin.
2. Blend the pumpkin into a puree with an immersion blender or blend in a regular blender until smooth.

Dehydrate Pumpkin

1. Spread pumpkin puree about a 1/4-1/2 inch thick onto the fruit leather trays fitted for your dehydrator. Alternatively you can use parchment paper onto top of your regular dehydrating trays.
2. Dehydrate at 125 degrees for 10-12 hours or until puree is completely dry and brittle.
3. Remove from trays breaking off into smaller pieces and store in a glass mason jar.
4. Store on your pantry shelf as is or blend into pumpkin powder!

Blend into Pumpkin Powder

1. Place dehydrated pumpkin pieces into a high powered blender
2. Blend to a fine powder
3. Store in a glass mason jar on your pantry shelf.

Tips

• It is a good idea to condition your pumpkin powder before long term storage
• You can dehydrate puree at 135 degrees for 6-8 hours for quicker drying. Note that generally the lower the temperature you use the more nutrients is retained in the final product.
• Make sure you dry pumpkin thoroughly so that it cracks easily and does not bend like a fruit leather. You can learn to make yummy pumpkin fruit leathers HERE.
• You can use the same dehydrating methods to use up the rest of a store bought can of pumpkin puree!
• If your pumpkin puree is too watery you can strain it through a cheese cloth or simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
• A coffee grinder can also be used to blend if you don’t have a high powered blender.
• Alternatively you can store dehydrated pumpkin in cube form to add to recipes. Cut raw pumpkin into small 1/2 inch cubes. Blanch cubes for 4 minutes and dehydrate at 125 degrees for 12-15 hours.

Having pumpkin powder on hand is such a convenient way to enjoy those delicious fall flavors all year round. It adds amazing flavor and extra nutrition to your foods and saves on precious pantry space. I know having pumpkin powder on our pantry shelf will definitely be a year round staple for years to come. I hope I was able to give you some inspiration to try this out. Leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

Thanks for stopping by the homestead and have a blessed day!

You can check out the video of our pumpkin and winter squash harvest below!

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9