Pickled pumpkin is probably not something you’re very familiar with. After all, most of the pumpkin you buy in the store is already pureed and canned. It’s not very common for a “pickled” variety to appear on the shelves. But it’s a very good way to enjoy good pumpkin taste throughout the year.

More than Cucumbers

The term “pickles” applies to much more than just pickled cucumbers. Technically, it’s virtually any vegetable preserved in a vinegar solution.

In the old days, food wasn’t always available year-round at the local store. To keep vegetables throughout the cold winter months, people living in rural areas would use vinegar, salt, and sugar to pickle and preserve the summer’s harvest.

Use Cheap Pumpkins

Pickled pumpkin is a good recipe for those end-of-season jack-o-lantern pumpkins that go on sale after Halloween. During November, many stores clear out their pumpkins, because most people are finished using them as decorations or pie ingredients; their loss is your gain. Get some discounted pumpkins, slice them up, and make some pickles with them. You won’t regret it. Here’s what you’ll need…

Pickling Tools

To make pickled pumpkin, you will need a few tools that may not be immediately available in your kitchen:

• A hot water canner. This is, basically, an enormous pot with a lid and wire rack that sits in the bottom to aid in setting jars in a bath of boiling hot water.
• Mason jars. I prefer the 1/2-pint variety.
• Rings and lids for the mason jars. Be sure they are the right size to match your jars, if your jars were not purchased brand new, with lids (Note: Never re-use mason jar lids).
• Tongs. For lifting jars out of boiling water.
• Large funnel. For pouring liquids and pumpkins into jars.
• 2 cups Cider vinegar. To preserve pumpkin.
• 2 cups Sugar. To preserve pumpkin and offset the bitterness of the vinegar.
• 2 Cinnamon sticks. For flavor.
• 10 Whole cloves. Also for flavor.
• 4 cups of pumpkin peeled and sliced into 1″ cubes

The Process

This recipe was borrowed from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Steam 4 cups of pumpkin for about 10 minutes–until the pumpkin starts to soften.

In a large pot or saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Heat to boiling, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Next, add the steamed, drained pumpkin cubes to the syrup, and bring back to boiling. Boil for 3 minutes.

Remove the syrupy pumpkin concoction from the heat, and cover.

Refrigerate the mixture for 24 hours. This will give the pumpkin time to absorb the flavor of the spices.

The next day, prep for canning. Sterilize your mason jars by running them in the dishwasher. Set your lids aside for boiling in a pot of water (to sterilize them). Fill your canner up roughly halfway with water, and start boiling (be careful not to overfill–halfway is about right for 1/2-pint jars). It’s going to take time to get these things ready, so be sure to allow yourself plenty of time.

When you’re ready (i.e. at least your jars are sterile and dry), remove your pumpkin mix from the fridge, and re-heat it on the stovetop.

Heat it to boiling, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Using a clean slotted spoon and a clean funnel, remove your pumpkin from the syrup. Place the pumpkin the jars, but leave the syrup in the pot on the stovetop. Fill each jar up about 1/2-2/3 with pumpkin cubes.

Using a clean ladle and clean funnel, pour syrup into the jars, covering the pumpkin cubes. Do not add any of the spices, if you can help it. Leave a little air space at the top of the jars.

Your lids should be sitting in a bath of boiling water. Carefully remove them one at a time, placing each one on a jar of pumpkin picks as you go. Secure with rings. Be sure the rings are snug without over-tightening–and make sure your lids form a good seal on the jars; we don’t want any air leaks causing our pickles to spoil.

Finally, place your jars in the hot water canner of boiling water. The water needs to be a hard boil–nut just starting to bubble or steam. Use tongs and a rack to help you accomplish this (more on this below). Place the jars in the canner; recover the canner; and wait for the water to return to a hard, rolling boil.  Be sure at least 2 inches of boiling water covers the jars. If it does not, add more water to the pot.

Process the jars for at least 10 minutes; I chose to leave mine in for closer to 30, because I was afraid the water cooled down too much once I placed the jars in the canner. The boiling water helps kill any bacteria in the jars, and assists in sealing the jars.

When the jars are done processing, carefully remove them from the canner. Allow them to cool; you should hear a sharp *pop* as the center of each lid snaps down, sealing the vacuum.  If a jar does not seal properly after it has cooled, place it in the refrigerator to prevent it from spoiling.

Store jars in a cool, dark place. Open in about 3 weeks, after the flavors have fully mixed in the jars.

How Canning Works

Canning and pickling vegetables helps you preserve food. In the case of pumpkins, the vinegar provides an environment acidic enough that mold spores and other bacteria will not be able to grow–effectively preventing spoilage.

Processing the jars in the hot water bath pasteurizes the pickles.

Where to Get Canning Supplies

Canning supplies are the most plentiful during the mid to late summer months, when gardening is in full swing. However, there should be stores in your area selling at least a few canning supplies well into the fall (Walmart still has canners and jars for sale at a discounted price). Another good source is the locally-owned hardware store (i.e. not Lowe’s or Home Depot); many hardware and farm supply stores carry canning supplies year-round.

I recommend buying a canning kit that includes tongs, a funnel, a long magnet for removing lids from boiling water, and other useful supplies. These tools will last through many rounds of canning, so they are worth the few dollars investment.

A Word on Sanitation

Botulinum spores are present on almost everything we eat and touch. When these spores find themselves in a low-oxygen, low-acid environment, they can produce botulism. For that reason, all equipment needs to be as sterile as possible. Vinegar used in making pickles should not be diluted beyond 5% acetic acid. And jars must be allowed to process in a covered hot-water bath at a rolling boil for the allotted amount of time.

Following these steps will all but eliminate the risk of contamination, making your canning experience a safe and fun one. And don’t let the risk of contaminants scare you off; people have been safely canning food for hundreds of years. As long as you follow some basic guidelines, there’s little to worry about.

For More Information…

Consult Google, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, or your local cooperative extension office. Make sure all the data you obtain is fairly up-to-date, and above all, have fun!

Filed under: Recipes

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