Preserving Pumpkin

Just. Do. It.  Go to your local farmer (in my case, Barronnet Bob's) and load up on pie pumpkins.   As I wrote in my last blog, PUMPKIN is super healthy for you (your heart, your waistline and EVEN your SKIN).   

Why go to the extra effort of preserving pumpkin? 

• Healthier (no preservatives)
• Local product (not shipped from CA like your typical can of pumpkin)
• Cans are lined with BPA (yes, the BPA linked to cancer)
• Tastes better
• Saves money

How to preserve pumpkin:


To preserve pumpkin, you can either cook it and pressure can it, or you can cook it and freeze it.  This year, I'm choosing to can pumpkin mainly because I love displaying my glass containers and I'm trying to limit my use of plastic.

Step One:

Cut the pie pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds.

Cutting the pumpkin - be careful - I added another scar this weekend

Step Two:

Place the pumpkin upside down into about an inch of water and cook until soft (hour to an hour and a half).

Cooking pumpkins

Step Three:

Peel the skin away and preserve by freezing in a ziplock bag or pressure canning (90 minutes at a 10 pound weight).   Here's where I learned everything about canning pumpkin:  the complete guide to canning pumpkin

Here's just 6 of the 14 jars - on my Grandma's platter - my Grandma's ghost peeking up

I bought 4 pie pumpkins from our local farmer (Baronnett Bob) and ended up with 14 quarts of pumpkin.  I'm set now until next the next pumpkin season - YAHOO!!  So, please:  just. do. it. :) 


THE WEEKEND

We had a FABULOUS time at the Badger / Gopher game and the Badgers won big time (always a plus).  I'd say the band almost trumped the game - amazing.  Now I'm dreaming that one of my kids will choose UW-Madison.  I love Madison and the campus - incredible.  My brother will be graduating with his Ph.D. from UW-Madison December 15th.  I'm so proud of him!

Me, Graham and my brother at the Badger game - my dad was there too :)

And, we also cleared part of our property for our new garden and new sauna.  Our garden was located at our neighbors (they weren't using it) but they moved so we're preparing for the Spring garden.  Oh, how I miss our garden of 2012). 

My goal is to share quite a few healthy pumpkin recipes.  If all goes well, I'll share my HEALTHY pumpkin risotto on tomorrow's blog.

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?  What did you do this weekend?

Thanks for reading!  I'm so grateful to my faithful readers ;)