HOW TO CAN PUMPKIN ~STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS

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Canning pumpkin is fairly easy.  I have always frozen pumpkin but due to not having much freezer space I decided to can my pumpkin this year.  Now you really need a cooking pumpkin.  Not a carving pumpkin.  A cooking pumpkin is normally light in skin.  Not the dark orange of a pumpkin you buy in the store or the pumpkin patch.  Below is a picture of part of a cooking pumpkin.  

There is one thing you need to know when canning pumpkin, that is it has to be canned in cubes to be safe and it must be canned in a pressure canner.  I know a lot of people might say well Great Aunt Suzy use to can puree pumpkin but it is not safe and seriously, do you want to take the chance on getting botulism? 

 Are you ready to learn how to safely can some pumpkin?  If so read on for step by step instructions.  

 First, you need to cut your pumpkin into small pieces.  This makes it easier to peel.  I had a fairly large one so I begged Scott to cut mine down to size for me to be able to handle.

Once you have cut your pumpkin down to size and pieces you can work with you will need to cook it.  Now you can do this a few different ways.  You can cook it in the oven or the microwave.  I have cooked pumpkin in both ways.  You just want the pumpkin what you would think of as parboiled.  


Cooking your pumpkin softens the skin as well as the flesh.  It is much easier to peel once the skin has softened.
I had my jars already clean and ready so when I was done cutting my pumpkin into chunks I could stuff my jars full.


Once you have your jars full you will need to put boiling water in to fill leaving an inch headspace.


Pumpkin is low acid so you must pressure can in order to make it safe.  Make sure you read your pressure canner's instructions.  See below for times.

They do make some pretty jars?


When pressure canning you need to go by the directions per your pressure canner.  Mine is an All American so I use 1 1/2 inch water in the bottom.  Please make sure you read the directions for your canner.  No, I can not say that enough.

 Pumpkin is canned for 55 minutes for pints and 90 for quarts at 10 pounds pressure.

 They make such lovely jars.  

 I plan on using mine to puree to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin cheesecake or a delicious out of this world Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake.   

 ENJOY!!

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