SPICED PUMPKIN BUTTER

This is good anywhere you would use jam. I found some cute little jars and have 10 jars ready to give away as Christmas favors.

My mother was the queen of canning when I was a child. She made Apple Butter and I loved it. Recently I have come across recipes for Pumpkin Butter. In my love for the Apple version I decided to try this. This recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens. I read the recipe reviews online and those that tried it said the ginger was too strong. I don't like ginger in my pumpkin pie so I didn't use it at all in the Pumpkin Butter. I just increased the Cinnamon and Nutmeg. I like the flavor of this. I also cooked a fresh pumpkin which is not for the faint of heart. I had a pumpkin about 1 foot in diameter which I cut up in 6-7 inch pieces and put them in a large pot with 3-4 inches of water to steam for about an hour. I then cooled the pieces on a cookie sheet and scraped the flesh off the peel. Then I put it in a food processor and blended until smooth. I put the puree back in the pan and cooked, stirring constantly for 1/2 hour or so until some of the water evaporated. Whew! This is work. I am posting an alternate way to cook the pumpkin in the oven which I will do next time because it may eliminate the thickening of the puree by cooking as the pumpkin probably dries out in baking. As you can see by the recipe you can use canned pumpkin. If you use canned I would replace the 1/2 cup of apple juice with 1 can of applesauce.

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients
4 cups Pumpkin Puree, or two 15-oz. cans pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice or 1 can of applesauce
2 T cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions
1. In 5-quart Dutch oven combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 25 minutes or until thick. (If mixture spatters, reduce heat to medium-low. I used one of those grease popping screens while stirring). I suspect the canned pumpkin would cook faster than the fresh pulp. Remove from heat; cool.
2. Ladle into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover; store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freezer up to 6 months.

PUMPKIN PUREE FROM A FRESH PUMPKIN (Oven Method)

Cut pumpkin in 5 inch pieces. Remove seeds and strings. Arrange in a single layer skin side up in foil lined baking pan. Bake covered, 1 hour or until tender. Cool and scoop pulp from rind. Puree in blender or food processor. Can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.