Fresh always sounds like the better idea, right? Scratch chocolate chip cookies made from scratch will always be more appealing than the Pillsbury slice and bake. But when it comes to pumpkin, so many of us just reach for the can, even though there are piles and piles of sugar pumpkins just waiting to be roasted this time of year. (Because, yes, you can make any pumpkin dessert from a fresh pumpkin.)

~Canned Pumpkin vs. Fresh Pumpkin vs. Organic Canned Pumpkin:

Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin, which is best? We tasted fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin to see which is best!

~How to make Fresh Pumpkin Puree:

Ingredients:

2 Sugar Pumpkins.

Splash of Water.*

~Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2: Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out all of the seeds and the strings.

Step 3: Roast the pumpkins in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender and you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Step 4: Let cool then, carefully peel off the skin using your hands.

Step 5: Place the peeled pumpkins in a food processor and puree until super smooth. If dry add a splash water.

Step 6: Use in your baked goods or in cooking.

~Recipe Notes:

*Optional: Only add if your pumpkin puree is dry, otherwise leave it.

~The Difference:

As you can see, there is a big difference in color and even in texture between these three purees. The fresh is notably the lightest in color, it almost just looks like any ol' pureed squash. The organic is the second darkest while the regular canned stuff is practically a completely different color.

A quick Google search revealed that Libby's uses a proprietary variant of the Dickinson pumpkin, which actually looks more like a butternut squash than pumpkin. 

The claim is that these pumpkins have been grown specifically for pumpkin puree in cooking and baking, so the result is a sweeter and creamier product. 

If you attempt to make pumpkin puree from a regular field pumpkin that you would use to carve for Halloween, the result would be stringy, watery, and bland. That's why we use pie or sugar pumpkins, though they are certainly no Dickinson pumpkin. 

While Libby's canned pumpkin puree contains no preservatives, the actual act of canning and sitting in a metal can for who knows how long has to affect the taste.

Since in most pumpkin baking we add tons of sugar and spices, we realized the texture was as important as the taste. In fact, pure pumpkin puree kind of just tastes like straight up baby food.

The texture of the organic canned pumpkin surprised us the most. It was just weird. It totally turned us off and we won't be using it again, not just because of the weird factor but because of the watery factor which became even more apparent after we used it to bake mini pumpkin pies and when we froze the leftover (it froze hardest fastest and iciest).

Once baked into mini pumpkin pies (following the standard recipe from Libby's), the color differences among the purees became less obvious. At this point, after adding enough sugar and spices to disguise the original pumpkin flavor, it was all about the texture. The regular canned was definitely the firmest, the organic canned was most watery, and the fresh puree was the lightest and most velvety.

Well, this is a tough question because each puree had good qualities. It depends on the use and your personal preference.

Based off our taste tests, we think that fresh puree would easily elevate any savory pumpkin dish such as soup or any baked goods. The fresh, unadulterated flavor and fluffy texture would work wonderfully in savory dishes, especially because even "sugar pumpkins" aren't very sweet on their own. When it comes to baking, we think you'd be fine using either canned or fresh. We'll always keep a few cans of regular pumpkin puree in our pantry because we love to bake with the stuff. We will be staying away from the organic canned pumpkin, as surprised as we are to say so, because it just had such an odd texture that wasn't worth the organic payoff. We'd rather make fresh than buy organic canned.

Which is your favorite? What will you try next time you're baking or cooking with pumpkin?

Check out our recipes:

1) Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Whipped Cream.

2) Caramel Pumpkin Spice Blondie Streusel Cheesecake.

3) Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake.

4) Pumpkin Coffee Cake.

5) Pumpkin Brownies.

6) Pumpkin Oreo Cupcakes. 

7) Pumpkin Mug Cake.

8) Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies.

(Links in the comments below)

9) Mini Pumpkin Swirled Cheesecake.

10) Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.

11) Pumpkin Streusel Bars.

12) Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes.

(Links in the comments below)

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.

~Hailey and Hannah :)