Pumpkin Preserves Recipes

PUMPKIN PRESERVES

Steps:

• Layer pumpkin with sugar in a large bowl.
• Cover and let stand overnight, stirring once or twice.
• Next day, drain juice off of pumpkin into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
• Add pumpkin pieces, grated rind and chopped pulp of the lemon.
• Add cloves (tied in a cheesecloth bag).
• Cook on a slow boil for 40 minutes, or until pumpkin is clear and the mixture sheets from a spoon.
• Remove the cloves and pour into hot sterile jars.
• Seal.

PUMPKIN PRESERVES

Steps:

• Combine pumpkin & sugar in a large pot and let sit for 30 minutes.
• In a small pot, combine lemon & water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat & simmer until tender (10-15 minutes). Drain.
• Cook pumpkin and sugar over low heat until sugar dissolves (7-10 minutes).
• Bring to a boil and continue to boil until the fruit is transparent and syrup is thick (10 minutes).
• Remove from heat and stir in the lemon. Stir for 5 minutes, skimming foam from surface.
• Pour into hot, sterilized jars & seal.

PUMPKIN GINGER JAM

Steps:

• Stir pumpkin and sugar together in a saucepan. Cover and let stand, 8 hours to overnight.
• Place unpeeled lemon wedges in a food processor; puree until smooth.
• Place pumpkin and sugar mixture in the saucepan over high heat. Stir in lemon and ginger. Bring to a rolling boil; cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is translucent but still holds its shape, about 30 minutes. Mash to desired consistency.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add jars and lids and boil for 5 minutes. Pack pumpkin mixture into hot jars and cover with lids. Let cool, then refrigerate and use within a month.

PUMPKIN CHIP PRESERVES

Steps:

• DAY BEFORE CANNING: Cut the pumpkin into large chunks, discarding the stems, seeds, and stringy innards attached to them. Pare the skin from the chunks. Slice each chunk into pieces 1/2" to 3/4" square, as evenly as you can. Stir to combine the pumpkin pieces in a large glass or ceramic bowl with the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and let the mixture sit overnight, or a few hours longer, at room temperature. It will give off a good bit of liquid.
• DAY OF CANNING: Prepare 5 or 6 half-pint canning jars by washing thoroughly. Place the jars on a rack in a boiling water canner, but DO NOT add water yet!
• Spoon the pumpkin mixture into a large heavy saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook, covered, until the pumpkin pieces are quite tender, but still hold their shape and have become somewhat translucent in a glaze of thick syrup, about 30 minutes.
• As soon as you have reduced the heat for the pumpkin mixture, fill the canner with water; water should be at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. You may need to add 1 cup of white vinegar if you have hard water in your area. Boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. It will take about 20--30 minutes for the water to come to a boil. Start timing from the time it reaches a good steady boil.
• While pumpkin is cooking, blanch the lemon slices in a small saucepan of boiling water, just enough to soften them, and drain. Stir the lemon slices into the chips just before removing the preserves from the heat.
• Once the jars have sterilized and the pumpkin is ready, remove jars from canner to a surface covered in heavy towels or layers of newspaper. (NEVER place hot jars on a bare countertop, as the difference in temperature could cause jars to shatter!) Spoon the chips into the hot jars, leaving at least 1/4-inch head space.
• Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Refrigerate jars after opening.

SPICED PUMPKIN PRESERVES

Steps:

• Prick pumpkin chucks with a fork.
• Combine rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan and boil 5 minutes to make the syrup.
• Add fruit (in batches if necessary) and simmer until pumpkin is slightly tender.
• Spoon hot pumpkin in clean hot pint jars.
• Fill with hot syrup leaving 1/4 inch head space.
• (Prepare more syrup if necessary).
• Seal and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
• *If you use whole cloves, spike the pumpkin pieces with them.
• **Try to even out the stick cinnamon among the jars.
• ***This recipe needs to age.
• Best if left.