Choose a small to medium sized pumpkin and cut it in half. I chose a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin which I found at a local vegetable stand.
There is no need to remove the seeds at this point. In fact, it will be much easier to remove them after the smoking process is complete.
Smoke the Pumpkin
Heat the grill to 250 degrees and set it up for indirect heat. For a Kamado style grill, add the plate setter. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners.
Right before you add the pumpkin, drop in a few pieces of apple wood. Apple produces a mild smoke that works well with vegetables. Do not try to produce the big billowy smoke - that looks great for photos, but the smoke flavor will overwhelm the dish. A little smoke will go a long ways.
Keep the pumpkin on the grill until it is fork tender. For the small/medium sized pumpkins, it took about two hours.
Remove the pumpkins from the grill and let them cool. Scoop out the seeds and then scoop out the flesh to serve or include for other recipes.
Purée the meat in a food processor by adding a couple of cups and letting the food processor run for a minute. It is extremely soft and will purée nicely.
Notes
Freezer Friendly: Freeze the purée in a freezer safe Ziploc bag until you need it. Squeeze the air out of the bag to minimize freezer burn.Storage: It is easy to turn this into a purée and storing it. Place a few cups into the food processor and let it run for a minute or two. The pumpkin is so soft after smoking that it won’t take long to make a consistent texture.Seeds: Keep the seeds for roasting. They will have a nice smoky flavor and will make for a great, healthy treat.Pumpkin Choices: Don't use decorative pumpkins here. Choose ones that are meant for eating. Use the purée in a number of recipes including pumpkin pie, pumpkin hummus, whipped smoked pumpkin butter, and even a BBQ sauce.