DELICIOUS PUMPKIN BUTTER

I have been making pumpkin butter for some time.  This butter is quite good and I am not a pumpkin fan.  

Better yet it is so easy to make.  I used fresh pumpkin to make my own pumpkin puree.  You can buy pumpkin puree.  I also have some puree in the freezer and chunks of pumpkin canned.  

Since I started with fresh pumpkin  I started by cooking it in the microwave and then chopping it up and placing the pumpkin in my crockpot. I had to cook my pumpkin for a while longer before it was soft enough to make the puree.  Once it was I used my immersion blender to puree it up.  

Add the spices and sugar.

Then allow it to cook down.

If you are starting with already canned puree, place this in your crockpot and allow to warm.  Then add your spices and sugar.  You want the puree warm to help melt the sugar and blend the spices. 

This is where my recipe gets a bit dicey.  Per safety rules you should not can pumpkin butter.  Everything I have read is it is due to the denseness of the pumpkin and not the acidity level.  Rules have changed over the years due to various reasons.  I still chose to can mine but per USDA you should not.  By no means am I saying to can yours.  However, I do.  Mine finished product does not come out any thicker than my apple butter so I personally chose to can mine and so far have had no issue. 

PUMPKIN BUTTER

Ingredients

• 60 ounces pumpkin puree
• 3 to 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg

Directions

• Place pumpkin puree into a crockpot.   Set on low and allow to cook to medium-hot temp.  You do not want to scorch the bottom.
• Once heated well, add all other ingredients and allow cooking for 6 to 8 hours.  Place in jars or a container.
• Refrigerate. 

If you decide to can yours, use the water bath method.  Sterilize your jars.  Add the pumpkin butter to jars, apply lids and rings.  Cook for 20 minutes covered.  Turn off heat and allow to sit another 10 minutes prior to taking out of the water bath.  I use jelly jars which are 8 ounces.  Again since it is not recommended by the USDA to can I chose to go 20 minutes when normally you would only go 10 with jelly or jam.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  This is really easy to make and would be excellent on hot out of the oven homemade biscuits for breakfast.  You can always start it tonight and have it ready for tomorrow morning.  

ENJOY!!