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.

Does pumpkin butter need to be refrigerated? Yes! Because it's perishable, refrigerate or freeze your pumpkin butter.

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.

Can you use expired butter? Here's the good news: If you notice that your butter's expiration date has passed but you don't have time to run down to the store for a new tub, you can still eat it with relative safety as long as you inspect it first.

Spread pumpkin butter on toast, scones, quickbreads, and scones, or dollop atop French toast. It can also be used as an ingredient in pancakes and even as a savory pasta sauce.

But storing it in a cold fridge or icy freezer will put that spoilage off. In the freezer, well-wrapped butter can last up to a year, after which its flavor and quality will be compromised. It may also develop freezer burn. In the refrigerator, well-wrapped salted butter can last up to five months without spoiling.

Based on my taste tests, I think that fresh puree would easily elevate any savory pumpkin dish such as soup or pasta. The fresh, unadulterated flavor and fluffy texture would work wonderfully in savory dishes, especially because even “sugar pumpkins” aren't very sweet on their own.

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.

What kind of pumpkin is best for canning? ›

Pumpkins and squash can be preserved for later use by freezing, canning or drying. They should have a hard rind and stringless mature pulp. Small size pumpkins (sugar or pie varieties) make better products.

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.