Fruits
Pumpkin Purée in gelato
Pumpkin purée is cooked, strained winter-squash flesh that is roughly 90% water with about 10% total solids. In gelato it adds body, colour and mild sweetness while behaving like a low-sugar, high-fibre fruit base.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 10% |
| Water | 90% |
| Sugars | 3.4% |
| Fat | 0.3% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 1% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 3.8 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 5.3 |
Typical use: 15-30% of the mix
Balance pumpkin purée in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Pumpkin purée is a diluting, low-sugar solid: at ~10% solids it drops the mix's total solids, so pair it with milk solids, cream or dextrose to rebuild body. Its sugar is a near-even glucose/fructose/sucrose mix, giving a PAC (~5.3) noticeably higher than its POD (~3.8), so it softens the freeze more than it sweetens; account for that anti-freezing lift when balancing serving temperature. Fibre and starch add creaminess and help mask iciness. Use it as the flavour base of a spiced 'pumpkin pie' gelato, cutting added sugar to compensate for its low intrinsic sweetness.
Origin & background
Pumpkins (Cucurbita) are among the oldest cultivated New World crops, domesticated in Mesoamerica over 7,000 years ago. Canned pumpkin purée was popularised in the United States in the early 20th century, and USDA FoodData Central lists it at roughly 90% water and 3.3g total sugars per 100g.