Serious Eats - seriouseats.com
Pickled Sugar Pumpkin
Before you get pumpkin-ed up this season, make these pickles. They make a really fun addition to a Thanksgiving cheese plate or dessert spread.
About This Recipe
| Yield: | makes 2 1/2 pints |
| Active time: | 1 hour |
| Total time: | 2 weeks |
| Special equipment: | boiling water bath canner, mason jars |
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed sugar pumpkin (approximately 3 pounds)
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 20 black peppercorns
- 15 whole cloves
- 10 allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
Procedures
-
1
Prepare a small boiling water bath canner and jars. Place lids in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
-
2
In a large pot, combine vinegar, water and sugar. Heat to dissolve sugar.
-
3
Place peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, crushed cinnamon sticks and bay leaf in a muslin spice bag or tie them tightly in a length of cheesecloth.
-
4
Add pumpkin chunks and spice bag. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
-
5
Cook pumpkin in the brine for 30-40 minutes, until the chunks are translucent and fork-tender.
-
6
When pumpkin is done cooking, ladle it into the prepared jars. Cover with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
-
7
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.
-
8
When time is up, remove jars from canner. Let them cool on a folded kitchen towel.
-
9
When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals by grasping edges of the lids and gently lifting jars. Lids should hold fast.
-
10
Let pickles cure at least 2 weeks prior to eating.