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.

Process filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 55 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

The good news is that pumpkin butter can be frozen and also keeps quite well in the fridge, so it doesn't have to be entirely off the menu.

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.

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.

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)

If a batch of pumpkin puree appears thin or watery, let it drain in a fine-meshed strainer for 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Most roasted or steamed pumpkin just needs a quick mash to turn soft and creamy-smooth. If lumps remain, place the puree in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.

Keep leftover pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It'll keep there for a week. If you don't think you can use up your pumpkin within that time, you can freeze it for up to a year. Seal it up in a zip-top freezer bag (be sure to label it) and toss it into the freezer.

How do you squeeze moisture out of pumpkin puree? ›

Let it drip, drip, drip for eight hours or overnight. Afterward a fair amount of water will have collected at the bottom of the bowl — and even more in the cheesecloth. Squeeze the cheesecloth gently to remove the additional water.

Home canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash.

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.

Place the cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 2 minutes, then place the pumpkin cubes into hot jars. (Avoid smashing down the cubes as much as possible!) Cover the pumpkin cubes with the leftover hot cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch of headspace.

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.