Recently I had felt nostalgic for making apple butter. We have many apple trees in our yard and usually each fall I post pictures on Facebook for people to come and get them and they come in droves to get buckets of apples. I used to make apple butter with my mom and she had learned from my great-grandmother. I have all of grandmothers original tools she used to do this. This year, after a big storm took out most of the apples – I decided I was going to make the butter again…
but this post is not about that. 😉
WHILE looking on-line for a refresher course on how to make the apple butter… I came across Pumpkin Butter. I mean seriously could that sound more delicious of more Fall? I did make the apple butter….and it is fantastic…
and then I bought a pumpkin…
Here is what you need:
One Pumpkin (you can use pumpkin puree from the store but I wanted to go completely from scratch)
sugar
ginger
cinnamon
nutmeg
Tools:
Crock Pot
A food mill (I use my grandma’s)
Take your pumpkin and cut up into chucks with the hard outside shell taken off.
Place in a large pot covered in water and cook on high until the pumpkin is soft. I used my Grandmothers food mill to puree it went in to the crock pot but I bet you could use a potato masher as well.
Once your pumpkin is in the crock pot I added the spices to taste. I have no exact measurements as it depends on your pumpkin size. I added cinnamon, and about a half cup of sugar, nutmeg and ginger. With crock pot on low, let it cook 8 to 10 hours, or to desired thickness. Add more spice if needed according to your taste as it cooks.
Pour into jars or gift containers.
***Note: Pumpkin Butter is not recommended to hot water seal your jars. The acids in the pumpkin do not allow for safe sealing (I know right? This was news to me too!) You can keep it safely in your refrigerator up to three weeks, or you can freeze it and take it out as you need it.
Final thoughts: I loved the taste and texture. While the canning note was a surprise (I did not know you could not seal it until I had made it) I put in refrigerator and gave away to friends over the next few days. When I do it again – and I will, I will put the jars back in the box they came in and freeze. If you leave an inch head room in the jar for expansion as it freezes, the jars are ok to freeze in.
Pumpkin butter is delicious on toast, but it is also good in yogurt, and on pancakes.
I will be linking this one up to Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads. Go and see what others are cooking this weekend 🙂
What am I listening to while cooking this weekend? Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax... a fun womens literature style listen. 🙂
Book Journey 
I love pumpkin butter – I use it as fuel on my long bike rides – take a piece of bread, roll it thin, spread pumpkin butter on it (or almond butter, or other form of nut/vegetable type butter), some sandwich meat, a bit of cheese and roll it up – makes for great snacking that is healthy
Great idea! I like it as it has a smoother not as sharp taste as apple butter does. It is a nice change 😉
Sounds yummy! I love almost anything pumpkin, even when it isn’t fall. Thanks for sharing.
I like pumpkin too! 😀
I’ve never tried pumpkin butter, but it sounds good!
When my kids were growing up, my oldest son liked grape jelly, my daughter liked strawberry preserves, but my youngest son always wanted apple butter. Now he eats strawberry jam. I’m going to ask him why he never asks for apple butter any more.
LOL that is great! 😛
Sounds delicious! I might try this. I’m puzzled by the canning note, though, because I’ve certainly bought canned (or rather, jarred) pumpkin butter – commercially produced in a way, but by a small firm, not a national or international one.
Right! I almost hot water sealed the jars but posted my progress on Facebook and a friend told me about it. I looked it up and she was right!
I’ve made a few different “butters” in my time but never pumpkin. Now *must* try. I have plenty of freezer space for a lovely treat all winter. On warm homemade waffles? Yes, please.
mmmm waffles! That sounds yummy! I will definitely make again 🙂
I had no idea you could make pumpkin butter! Funny because I JUST pulled out my canning book to look up apple butter recipes. Can you believe I’ve never had it before? My husband is always talking about it so I figured this year is the year.
I used to make apple butter with my mom and with my grandmother. I love using my grandma’s tools knowing that once her hands used them as well. Pumpkin butter is new to me too 🙂 Good luck with the apple butter. With the newer crock pot methods it is not as much of a chore as it used to be.
Yum – this sounds absolutely delicious! I love pumpkin and the pumpkin butter on pancakes sounds great. This may be a stretch, but I also wonder if it would be good no scallops?!
MMMM…. that sounds delicious!
I can’t quite imagine what this tastes like. We really only use pumpkin as a savoury ingredient. Cheers
Its a unique taste, not as sharp and mouth watering as apple butter or jellies… it is smoother and imagine it would be delicious on pork chops.
I have never had pumpkin butter. I saw some at Trader Joes but haven’t tried any yet. I like your step by step instructions here. Good to know it can’t be sealed in the hot water bath, wouldn’t have thought about that 🙂
That sounds like the perfect fall activity. And looks delicious — what lucky friends you have!
My grandmother had one of those food mills. We would use it for the tomato harvest and make delicious crushed tomatoes for sauce. I miss those times with her.
Pumpkin butter sounds perfect for this time of year.
THANKS for sharing.
I love apple butter, too, and I didn’t know you could make pumpkin butter in a Crock Pot!
yummm pumpkin butter! Thank you for sharing all your tips and tricks 🙂