Canning & Freezing Pumpkin
How could summer have gone by so quickly. We are starting to clear out the garden, settle into our school routine, Penn State football and other college football games have started, and the pumpkins are orange.
We've never had much luck growing pumpkins. I remember one year my parents had a couple huge pumpkins in their garden. We were so excited to carve them, and one night someone came and stole the pumpkins right out of the garden! This year the pumpkins I planted didn't do much. The volunteer pumpkins did a little better.
I decided I was going to can the pumpkin. I am not sure why. I've cooked with fresh pumpkins and I've frozen mashed pumpkin before, but never canned pumpkin, until this year. FYI: The USDA does not recommend canning mashed pumpkin or puree.
To Can Pumpkin
First wash the pumpkin. Cut it in 1/2 and scoop out all the seeds and stringy stuff. Then slice into 1" slices. Peel.
Cut into 1" cubes. Put in a pot. Cover with boiling water. Bring back to a boil and boil for two minutes.
Pack hot into hot jars. Cover with boiling water. Put on lids and process in the pressure canner at 10lbs pressure for 90 minutes (quarts.)
From three medium sized pumpkins I got 7 quarts.
It seems pretty simple as I type it out here, but let me tell you, it was a lot of work. Cutting up those pumpkins was hard. I will not be canning pumpkin again. I will freeze it from now on. It is much easier.
To Freeze Pumpkin
Simply halve your pumpkin. Scoop out all the seeds and yuck. Cook your pumpkin until it is soft. You can bake it or boil it, but I just do it in the microwave. Put the pumpkin (or other squash for that matter) cut side down and cook until you can press in on it with your finger.
Let it cool. Then peel. The peel should pull off easily, or you can scoop out the cooked flesh. Mash up the pumpkin with a fork or a potato masher. Put it into your freezer containers (repurposed cottage cheese or sour cream containers do nicely.) If it is still warm, let it cool and stick it in your freezer. Voila!
Now I can say I've canned pumpkin, and that when it comes to preserving pumpkin, I will be freezing it.
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20 comments:
Yum! Thanks a bunch for the "how to"!
I love pumpkin! I'll try anything made with pumpkin and I'm always looking for new recepies. There have even been times when I've heated up a can of pumpkin(not the pie stuff), added some splenda and spices and ate just that!
You'll be thanking yourself when you're eating pumpkin pie this winter.
I bet that was a ton of work. This is a great tutorial!
Enjoy all of that yummy pumpkin pie!!
I cook with home canned pumpkin too.
Here are a few recipes on my site if you want to check them out some time.
What to do with Pumpkins?
we freeze pumpkin each year so that we have enough to make SEVERAL pumpkin pies--tastes much different than the canned. Great post!
Hello,
My name is Greg and I'm just an old hippie in the mid west. I made pumpkin pie from pumpkins I cooked out for the first time this year and was thrilled. I got enough for 2 pies. Baked 1 and froze the other. Was looking into canning but after reading what you said will stick with freezing.
If you can pumpkin this way, do you have to drain the liquid before using it? Do you have to puree it? More info, please.
It kind of depends on how you are using it. If your recipe calls for pureed pumpkin you need to run the pumpkin through the blender or food processor. It will be thinner than commercially canned pumpkin unless you drain it. I've mainly used this canned pumpkin for quick bread. I did not drain it, but cut back a bit on the oil in the recipe. It works well. I have not tried a pie recipe with this can pumpkin. My gut is that for pie it would be best drained. Hope that helps.
stephanie, Thanks for the info. I would choose freezing but my freezer is already full. I use my pumpkins for pie, pumpkin muffins, bars and other things. I am skeptical of the finished canned product. I also don't think a pint of cubes would make a pint of puree. I may try some quarts of cubes.
I really do appreciate your answers and information.
I am also a homeschooling mom.
Thank you so much, I kept finding canning recipes with the pressure canner, I hate to use that thing..The freezer is just perfect. THANK YOU! We will enjoy our pumpkin cookies,cakes and pies even more this year.
I have canned pumpkin for 10 -15 years and have used it for everything and it is always delicious. I just wash it, cut it in wedges, boil it until it is tender, cut it off and run it through a blender, put it in the jars and pressure it. I got the directions out of an old ball fruit jar book. I preserves very well and now several people in the family like to can pumpkin because it tastes so much better than store bought. We enjoy several dishes cooked with pumpkin and its very healthy for you!!
Hi,
My name is Janice and I am in Wellsboro, PA. Thanks for the information on canning and freezing the pumpkins. I have been canning and canning and freezing and freezing and will now get some pumpkins....we didn't grow any this year. I use a "Food Saver" machine for freezing and it is fantastic especially in hunting season!
I might try pumpkins next year. Go PENN STATE!!!!!!
I'm glad you've written about how much work it was to get 7 quarts of canned cubes. I've been procrastinating because I could foresee this. My freezer is small, and I have 6 more pumpkins sitting here waiting for me to decide how to put them up. The USDA safety info says never to can mashed pumpkin. So, I think I'll bake, peel, mash and freeze. Drier product, more like bought canned. I'll put some water in the roasting pan so it doesn't brown.
hi everyone, it appears that mashing or pureeing is the most common method for preparing pumpkin in north america but in many other parts of the world it is often baked or cooked in chunks-- hence the favored style of canning pumpkin in pieces for stews, casseroles or soups. the only time i use pureed pumpkin is when i bake it in desserts/breads or when i make a creamy pumpkin soup-- but usually i even like my pumpkin soup chunky to blend in with all the other my veggies.
stephanie, i didn't read what your canned variety tasted like compared to the frozen portions. i wonder if you still remember, as tbhis posting is a year old!
i am also curious as to why the USDA doesn't recommend canning (mashed) pumpkin.
i read that it is best to first mash and drain the pureed pumpkin overnight in a colander placed in the fridge before freezing. you might appreciate this link: http://bakingdesserts.suite101.com/topiclist/article.cfm/how_to_make_homemade_pumpkin_puree
if you never want to can it again, i wonder how you feel about making jam! there's a wonderfully methodical and serene vibe while making and canning products... but you have to have the patience, time, will and the equipment!
thanks for your tips, stephanie!
Nihal,
I mostly use pumpkin in baked goods. I really didn't notice much difference in the taste. The canned pumpkin is much more watery though. I roast my pumpkins before mashing so they are not watery at all and do not require draining, even after freezing. The USDA says that pumpkin puree is too thick and reaching the correct internal temperatures while canning is not consistent. Thought about making pumpkin butter this year, but never jam. :)
Agreed that the mash shouldn't be canned because of thickness. You'd have to process it forever, and even then wouldn't be guaranteed it's botulism free.
As far as preserving pumpkins goes, they would probably do well if just kept whole in a cool dry area. I kept some acorn squash all winter in my basement, and it's April and they're still great.
Hey i saw that you had a lot of trouble peeling etc, well raw pumpkin can be a pain in the butt to deal with so the best bet is to Halve raw pumpkin scoop out everything, pop in the oven with water in a shallow pan (make your own steamer) bake at about 400 for 20 minutes or so (30 minutes) cool and then peel it should come right off. then cube and hot pack 75 minutes at 11 lbs
Can this recipe be used on big pumpkins too, or just the smaller pie pumpkins? My mother in law gave me two big pumpkins and I'd like to can them, but not sure of the quality of the fruit from a bigger pumpkin. Thanks!
Carl,
Larger pumpkins are edible, but they are not as tasty. They tended to be more watery and have less flavor than the smaller pie pumpkins.
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