Winter squash puree

For making pumpkin-based desserts, when you can't get cans! 

1. Obtain: a medium-sized winter squash with orange flesh. Hokkaido or butternut are excellent for this and really easy to find, though any of the winter squashes will do. 

Real pumpkin -- even sugar pie pumpkin -- is certainly also doable, but it's actually more stringy and watery than the other squashes, so may not be worth the extra effort. Even the Libby's canned pumpkin is not all pumpkin, but mostly other squashes! If you do use a sugar pie pumpkin, be sure to do the extra step of straining the puree on a cheesecloth in the fridge overnight, before using (or freezing) it, or you'll get a watery pie. 

2. Steam: use a large, heavy knife (samurai sword would be excellent) to carefully slice the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and other guts. Place the halves skin-side down (may need to cut into quarters or eighths, actually) in a steamer basket, and steam until the flesh is entirely soft and cooked, maybe 20 mins.  

3. Mash: when squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skins. For some varieties, you can just leave the skin right on, no problem: hokkaido, for example. Puree the flesh with a food processor or immersion blender. I've used just a potato masher, before, and it made a slightly chunkier pie, but wasn't bad. You can get it really smooth with the right equipment, though. Can be used immediately, or frozen for later.