We have a lot of pumpkins from our harvest this fall, so we are preserving the pumpkin in different ways, like making pumpkin butter.
Pumpkin butter is basically thickened pumpkin puree that’s slightly sweetened and spiced. Since it’s pureed, it’s not considered a jam. It reminds me a little of applesauce but with pumpkin instead of apples. This pumpkin butter is not overly sweet, lightly spiced and is delicious.
Pumpkin butter is versatile. You can eat it on pancakes or waffles, on toast, in oatmeal or smoothies, in muffins or even on ice cream. The options really are endless.
Let’s get started!
First, here is our pumpkin patch this year – it was magnificent! It was a hot summer, and the pumpkins really grew. We had spooky pumpkins which grew a bit more square-like, jack-o-lantern pumpkins and sugar pie pumpkins. We were blessed with a lot of pumpkins this year.
We got 28 pumpkins from our pumpkin patch. It was a pretty good year! Then my mom gave us 22 pumpkins. That’s a lot of pumpkin! It took part of the fall and into November for all of them to ripen.
Now that the pumpkins are ready, we have some in our winter pantry, some we are canning, some I froze, some got turned into pumpkin pie and a couple into pumpkin butter.
To start, we are cooking the pumpkin. I’m cooking it in the slow cooker. Add chopped pumpkin with a bit of water and let cook for 7 hours on low.
Let pumpkin cool a bit – it’s easier to handle to blend when it’s cooled. Blend or puree pumpkin. Add back to slow cooker.
Add sugar and pumpkin pie spice. You can add cinnamon or more pumpkin pie spice if you like. I don’t like pumpkin butter when it’s over spiced.
Stir well.
Add vanilla extract.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. I’m cooking it for 5-1/2 hours.
Here’s the pumpkin butter after 3 hours. Stir.
Add brown sugar.
Here’s the pumpkin butter after 5 hours.
Time to can! Some pumpkin, we mashed by hand and some pureed with the blender. I didn’t mind though. Time to can it!
Scoop pumpkin butter into prepared jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. Stir to release air bubbles. Wipe rims, place seals and rings in just finger tight. Place in water bath canning pot. Process for 20 minutes. Carefully remove from canning pot and let cool completely. Jars that did not seal will have to be refrigerated.
Pumpkin Butter
2 small pumpkins, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
1 cup water
Add chopped pumpkin with water and let cook for 7 hours on low.
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
Blend or puree pumpkin. Add back to slow cooker. Add sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well. Add vanilla. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. Add brown sugar after three hours if needed. Stir. After 5 to 6 hours, it’s time to can.
Scoop pumpkin butter into prepared jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. Stir to release air bubbles. Wipe rims, place seals and rings in just finger tight. Place in water bath canning pot. Process for 20 minutes. Carefully remove from canning pot and let cool completely. Jars that did not seal will have to be refrigerated.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours