Pumpkin Chip Preserves
- Ready In:
- 2hrs
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Yields:
-
5 half-pint jars
ingredients
- 5 - 5 1⁄2 lbs pumpkin (preferably a cheese or pie pumpkin)
- 5 cups sugar
- 2 large lemons, juice and zest of, minced
- 1 large lemon, sliced thin
directions
- DAY BEFORE CANNING: Cut the pumpkin into large chunks, discarding the stems, seeds, and stringy innards attached to them. Pare the skin from the chunks. Slice each chunk into pieces 1/2" to 3/4" square, as evenly as you can. Stir to combine the pumpkin pieces in a large glass or ceramic bowl with the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and let the mixture sit overnight, or a few hours longer, at room temperature. It will give off a good bit of liquid.
- DAY OF CANNING: Prepare 5 or 6 half-pint canning jars by washing thoroughly. Place the jars on a rack in a boiling water canner, but DO NOT add water yet!
- Spoon the pumpkin mixture into a large heavy saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook, covered, until the pumpkin pieces are quite tender, but still hold their shape and have become somewhat translucent in a glaze of thick syrup, about 30 minutes.
- As soon as you have reduced the heat for the pumpkin mixture, fill the canner with water; water should be at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. You may need to add 1 cup of white vinegar if you have hard water in your area. Boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. It will take about 20--30 minutes for the water to come to a boil. Start timing from the time it reaches a good steady boil.
- While pumpkin is cooking, blanch the lemon slices in a small saucepan of boiling water, just enough to soften them, and drain. Stir the lemon slices into the chips just before removing the preserves from the heat.
- Once the jars have sterilized and the pumpkin is ready, remove jars from canner to a surface covered in heavy towels or layers of newspaper. (NEVER place hot jars on a bare countertop, as the difference in temperature could cause jars to shatter!) Spoon the chips into the hot jars, leaving at least 1/4-inch head space.
- Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Refrigerate jars after opening.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I live in a small (but growing to be very large) town in Oklahoma. I am currently a student, studying library science. I like to cook and eat, play the piano and violin, and train and play with my two dogs. I don't have a single favorite cookbook, but of the ones I use, I like BHG the most. Their recipes are usually very good. I would say my passion is learning new things--and traveling to new places. I also enjoy writing fiction. Some of my pet peeves are: 99% of the drivers in Oklahoma; people who don't take good care of their pets; people with NO TASTE; intellectual psychobabble nonsense; boring people; the list goes on forever!