Boiling pumpkins is a proven method for preserving autumn vegetables. If you process the unseasoned pulp into puree before preserving, you always have the basis for delicious pumpkin soup, puree or pancakes right at hand.
Cooked pumpkin puree
This consists solely of pumpkin and water, no other ingredients are required. This means that the preserved pumpkin can be used for both sweet and savory dishes.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg pumpkin meat
- 150 ml water
You also need suitable glasses. These can be:
- Mason jars with lids, rubber ring and clip,
- Glasses with rubber ring and swing top,
- Twist-off jars with intact seal.
You can preserve the pumpkin in the preserving pot or in the oven.
Preparation of pumpkin puree
- Sterilize the jars, lids and rubber ring in boiling water for ten minutes. Then turn it upside down on a fresh kitchen towel.
- Divide the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds with the fibrous flesh.
- Yes, peel depending on the variety, this is not necessary in Hokkaido.
- Cut into large cubes.
- Bring the water to the boil in a pot.
- Put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Puree the soft pumpkin flesh finely with a blender.
Preserving
- Fill the pumpkin puree into the jars without any air pockets. There should be a two centimeter wide edge at the top.
- Close well and place on a rack in the preserving pot. The vessels must not touch each other.
- Pour in enough water so that three quarters of the glasses are in the liquid.
- Soak at 100 degrees for 120 minutes.
- Remove the cooked pumpkin puree and let it cool down.
- Check whether a vacuum has formed in all glasses.
Alternatively, you can cook the pumpkin puree in the oven:
- Place the glasses in a drip pan. These must not touch each other.
- Pour two centimeters of water.
- Push into the tube on the lowest rail.
- Set oven to 180 degrees.
- As soon as bubbles appear in the glasses, switch them off and leave the glasses in there for another half hour.
- Remove and after cooling check that all lids are firmly on.
The boiled pumpkin will last for several months if stored in a cool, dark place.
Tip
It is not advisable to simply fill the pumpkin puree hot into twist-off jars and not to boil it down additionally. Since the puree does not contain any other ingredients such as sugar, its shelf life would be very limited.
