Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Things To Do In New Jersey!
Are you loving this cool fall weather as much as I am? I adore this time of year here in New Jersey – the crisp, cool air… the beautiful fall colors… and the PUMPKIN EVERYTHING! Pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin chili, and – oh yes – PUMPKIN BUTTER!!! I love it all!
Last week, I roasted a pumpkin that I picked up on my most recent New Jersey farmers’ market adventure and made pumpkin puree with that. Then I froze the puree in 2-cup portions so that I would have it handy when I wanted to make something wonderfully pumpkin-y! Today, I decided to use some of that pumpkin puree to make pumpkin butter.
What’s that? You haven’t heard of pumpkin butter? Well, my friend, you have been missing out! Let me tell you about the awesomeness that is pumpkin butter. Pumpkin butter is a delightful fruit spread made from pureed pumpkin, combined with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and lightly sweetened with sugar and/or apple juice. Pumpkin butter does not actually contain ANY butter. It is a delicious and healthy topping for breads, muffins and other baked items. It is also a fantastic dip for apple or pear slices. Pumpkin butter is also super easy to make! You can either make it on the stovetop in about a half hour, or you can throw all the ingredients in your crockpot, set it to “Low”, and let it cook down for 4-6 hours. (The bonus to this method is that it infuses your home with the most amazing pumpkin spice aroma for those 4-6 hours!) I did not have the patience to wait 4-6 hours for my pumpkin butter today, so I chose to make it on the stovetop.
Have I convinced you to make your own pumpkin butter yet? Well, then, let’s get to it! Here’s the recipe…
Pumpkin Butter
3 ½ cups homemade pumpkin puree (or one 28-ounce can pumpkin puree)
1-½ cups brown sugar
¾ cup apple cider
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cloves
To make pumpkin butter on the stovetop…
Combine all of the ingredients for the pumpkin butter in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer the mixture, stirring frequently. Simmer the pumpkin butter for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture thickens (the pumpkin butter should be thick enough that when a spoon is dragged through the mixture, it creates a trail that does not immediately close back in upon itself).
To make pumpkin butter in the crockpot…
Combine all of the ingredients for the pumpkin butter in the crockpot. Set the crockpot to “Low” and simmer the pumpkin butter until it thickens enough that when a spoon is dragged through the mixture, it creates a trail that does not immediately close back in upon itself (about 4-6) hours.
To store the pumpkin butter…
Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then pack into sterile jars or plastic containers (see the note below regarding pumpkin butter and food safety). The pumpkin butter can be refrigerated for up to a month. Homemade pumpkin butter can also be frozen for as long as 6 months. This recipe makes about 3 cups of pumpkin butter.
Important food safety note regarding pumpkin butter: The USDA does not recommend home canning of pumpkin butter or any other pumpkin or winter squash products. Never store pumpkin butter at room temperature. Homemade pumpkin butter should only be stored in the refrigerator or the freezer.
