How To Store Leftover Canned Pumpkin For Maximum Shelf Life

Whether you're whipping up a pumpkin pie or blending creamy pumpkin smoothies, you may find yourself with a little leftover canned pumpkin. Thankfully, it's easy to store so that you can repurpose it for other recipes.

The most important part of ensuring that leftover canned pumpkin remains as tasty as it was when you first opened it is to transfer it to an airtight container. While it's tempting to just slide the opened can into the fridge rather than dirtying up another dish, the puree's flavor may degrade over time if left in the can, particularly if it's uncovered. Then, once you've sealed it in the container, you can store it in the fridge safely for up to a week. The one caveat is that you may want to avoid storing it in the door of your fridge where the temperature is less stable than other areas.

If you really want to extend its life, you can freeze canned pumpkin and it will last for a year. If possible, use an airtight glass storage container to prevent freezer burn.

While canned pumpkin may have you thinking of pie, it's a versatile ingredient that works well in a plethora of sweet and savory recipes. To satisfy a sweet tooth, try using leftovers to make an incredibly easy cottage cheese pumpkin cheesecake or infuse pumpkin flavor into cookies, cakes, brownies, and muffins by replacing some or all of the eggs, oil, or butter in a recipe with the puree.

You can also use leftover canned pumpkin to elevate your lunch or dinner. Spoon a dollop or two into chili or whisk it into cheese sauce for an upgraded mac and cheese. Or use it to make an incredibly creamy pasta sauce — it's actually one of the key ingredients in Giada de Laurentiis' pumpkin carbonara. And, if you want to up your snack game, don't sleep on using it to boost your dips — try stirring it into hummus or mixing it into two-ingredient fruit dip.

The leftover pumpkin can take your morning meal to the next level, too. Fold the puree and some warm spices into your pancake or waffle batter or blend it together with whipped cottage cheese or cream cheese and use it as a topping on your toast. For meal prep, stir it into your overnight oats or mix it with Greek yogurt. Finally, you can also use it to whip up a drink to wash down all of that other pumpkin goodness — consider a smoothie, milkshake, or, of course, a pumpkin spice latte.