It’s troubled times we be livin’ in! And we Americans have some shameful traditions! One of the most nutritious and plentiful and delicious vegetables is carved as a decoration and discarded! No Jack, this is no laughing matter! Not only can the seeds be rinsed and then roasted with a little olive oil and salt, the pumpkin flesh is a super food!
Jack-o-lanterns can be cut up, pressure cooked, pureed and bottled with excellent results. (The one in the picture looks a little moldy. He’s probably too past his prime.)
Why not let Jack do double duty as décor and dinner?
Here’s how.
Clean the stringy “guts” and seeds out of the pumpkin. Cut out the stem. Do not include the blossom spot on the bottom. They tend to be gritty even after cooking.
If you used your pumpkin as a Jack-o-lantern, pick out all the wax, wash thoroughly and then cut into chunks small enough to fit into a pressure cooker. DO NOT PEEL. The dark orange skin is loaded with nutrients/anti-oxidants. Once cooked, it will blend nicely. The size pumpkin shown (above) is probably a little bigger than will fit all at once into a cooker. I usually do two or three batches.
Add a quart of water and fasten the lid. Pressure cook for 15 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.
Place cooker in sink and pour or spray cool water on the outside of the pressure cooker. (I also remove the weight so the steam escapes in geyser, but the instructions with the pressure cooker warn that it puts you in danger of being burned.)
Using tongs, place cooked pumpkin chunks in a blender and blend until smooth.
Fill clean jars, (no need to be sterile) with hot pumpkin puree to the bottom of the neck.
Wipe rim of jar so that it is completely clean, place lid and tighten band.
I rinse the empty pressure cooker quickly, place the canning rack in the bottom and arrange the jars upright in the canner. Add water so that jars are about an inch deep. Place lid of pressure canner and process for 70 minutes on 10 pounds of pressure.
These six quarts and one pint are the yield for a 14 inch pumpkin. It will vary depending on the thickness of the flesh, so choose your Jack-o-lanterns according to their weight.
If a jar doesn’t seal, refrigerate and use soon.
Allow canner to cool undisturbed until all pressure is gone. Rinse jars before storing in the cupboard. Use it the same way you use store-canned pumpkin.
You’ll notice that it has a milder flavor than store-canned pumpkin.
Sometimes the puree on the top of the jar becomes a little discolored. As long as the seal is tight, no worries. If the seal is broken after storage, discard.
I have incorporated pumpkin into chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, crustless pumpkin custard, pumpkin muffins, etc.
One of my favorite successes was a soup made from home canned pumpkin, milk, some bottled cheddar queso, herbs, sea salt and pepper. I garnished it with a little shredded cheese and served with crusty bread. It easily passed for cheddar soup.
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