Sunday, July 7, 2013

Small Batch ~ Pumpkin Butter

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Where you live it's probably not time to harvest pumpkins . . . but harvsting, we are! I'm relieved this is our harvest time, today was 110F/44C! Will just picked all of our late peaches, and we picked 3 Sugar Pie Pumpkins. We'll start a fall garden when it gets below 100F.
There are still lots of pumpkins to harvest, varying from tender green, greenish-orange, orangish-green, orange, and very orange! While I feel terrible neither garden produced our beloved green and yellow beans, we do have an abundance of sweet pumpkins!

I have no idea what organic, canned pumpkin goes for, or if you can even purchase it locally. A visit to our local grocery store revealed a15 ounce can of Libby's canned pumpkin for $2.49, enough for 1 pie.
The 3 Sugar Pie Pumpkins we picked weighed in a at just over 15 pounds. We washed them; cut them in two, and scooped out the seeds . . . for sowing and roasting (more on that another time).


We placed the pumpkins in sided baking pans, cut side down, added 1/2-inch of water, and baked them for 1 hour. After allowing the hot pumpkins to cool down, I lifted the skins off from them. Next, I squeezed out the excess water, reserving the liquid. I filled my food processor to half, and puréed each batch in the food processor, about 3-minutes per batch.

I lightly sprayed a muffin tin and measured out 1/2-cup portions. Once frozen, I placed the pre-measured pumpkin in labeled, and dated freezer bags. This will make baking up future pumpkin treats so easy!

1 1/2-cups of pumpkin was placed in a quart freezer bag for making a pumpkin pie, and 1 cup of pumpkin was left over to make my Pumpkin Butter!


Pumpkin pie is my favorite, so making Pumpkin Butter that tastes like my Momma's pumpkin pie . . . Was a no brainier! This Pumpkin Butter will be great on toast, hot biscuits, or swirled in yogurt or oatmeal! Heck, you could even add some to your homemade iced coffee drink!

PUMPKIN BUTTER


1 cup of thick puréed pumpkin
2/3 cup pumpkin water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
1 tablespoon butter

  • Place all the ingredients in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan; mix well.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Reduce heat to low and cook until pumpkin becomes thick.
  • Place in glass jars with lids; store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

This pumpkin season has opened up limitless possibilities! I have at my disposal, enough pumpkins to make virtually anything, and everything pumpkin! . . . My little heart's desire . . . Over at Julie's!!!

Pumpkin Butter . . . Rich, sweetly spiced, pumpkin pie taste, and aroma in a jar! What could be more perfect?


Would love your input on pumpkin recipes you especially enjoy!

 

4 comments:

  1. Oooooh I will be using this recipe when we have pumpkins!

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  2. I will be making this as soon as I have a pumpkin! Sounds yummy.

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  3. Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Soup are my all time favorites! I always know its time for soup when I feel the crispness in the air! Love autumn.

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  4. Growing food in the desert really messes up my Midwestern time-clock! Pumpkins are supposed to be ready in the fall, for heaven's sake! But with this terrible heat (100F at 9am) I can't think of a better time than this to enjoy cold pumpkin butter, or a big slice of pumpkin pie, with whipped cream . . . Of course! :-D

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Your comments and questions are welcomed . . .