Amish Pumpkin Butter Recipe | The Frugal Farm Wife (2024)

FAQs

Does pumpkin butter have to be pressure canned? ›

Yet year after year, people are disappointed to learn that they cannot can it at home, neither by water bath canning nor by pressure canning. The same holds true for unsweetened purées of pumpkin and winter squash. Pumpkin butter and purée can, however, be safely frozen.

Shelf Life

Pumpkin butter will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. It may also be frozen for 3 to 6 months.

Place prepared pumpkin into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 2 minutes, until heated through, but not soft; drain and discard cooking liquid. Pack hot pumpkin into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 tsp salt to each quart jar (1/2 tsp per pint jar), if desired.

Add a dollop of this to your coffee or latte for an instant autumnal beverage! Also a perfect topper for oatmeal. Product Size: 9 oz. Shelf Life: Store in a cool dark place unopened up to 2 years; Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 months.

There are no research-tested pressure canning recipes for puréed pumpkin that prove the amount of heat penetration into the center of the product is adequate to eliminate the risk of Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism toxin and be deadly.

The result is that butter can often remain edible past its printed expiration date provided you have checked it for any obvious evidence to the contrary. When using expired butter, first examine it for changes in color or texture, any funky or sour smells, or visible evidence of mold growth.

Spoon some into oatmeal. Add it to vanilla milkshakes or smoothies. Stir a spoonful into a latte. Whip a few spoonfuls with softened butter to make whipped compound pumpkin butter (this is delicious on rolls, biscuits, or cornbread)

Butter is generally safe to eat up to a month after its printed expiration date, but check for certain giveaways like its color, smell, and taste to see if it has spoiled beyond redemption.

Pumpkin puree is made by steaming and pureeing squash so there are no added ingredients. Is canned pumpkin cooked? Yes, it's already been cooked via steaming. It's safe to eat canned pumpkin straight from the can, but it's infinitely better baked into a pan of pumpkin bars.

You can feed cooked or canned pumpkin to your dog—if it's 100% pumpkin with no added ingredients. Make sure you don't accidentally grab the canned pumpkin pie filling. That contains sugar, which isn't healthy for your pup, and usually nutmeg, which is toxic to dogs.

Can I freeze pumpkin? ›

Freeze it: Cooked or raw pumpkin can be frozen. Cut raw pumpkin and store in a labelled sealable freezer bag or container. If you have pumpkin puree you can freeze them in ice cube trays then transfer into a freezer bag or container.

Home canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash. In 1989, the USDA's Extension Service published the Complete Guide to Home Canning that remains the basis of Extension recommendations today, found in the September 1994 revision.

Butter, milk and cream (like meat and vegetables) are low-acid products that will support the outgrowth of C. botulinum and toxin formation in a sealed jar at room temperature. Low-acid products have to be pressure-canned by tested processes to be kept in a sealed jar at room temperature.

The bacterium cannot grow in a high acid environment and so high-acid foods such as fruit and pickles do not need to be processed in a pressure canner. Look for recipes for such foods.