A sweet and easy to make pumpkin treat!

We had such a busy fall here on the farm. Lots of harvesting, taking pictures, and last minute projects to get ready for the Northeast Ohio winter weather to come! During all the fall activities, we got a call asking us if we would like some pumpkins from a friend. We of course were very grateful, thinking we are getting a few pumpkins for the flock. Oh were we so surprised and very thankful when we received over 23 pumpkins! Some we saved for the flock, and some we set aside for the humans to enjoy!

Fresh pumpkin puree tastes so much better than the canned stuff, and we use it in so many different recipes. From pumpkin pie to pumpkin bread, it is all so tasty! One recipe we really like is Maple Brown Sugar Pumpkin Butter. A simple to make spread and has so many uses!

Preparing the Pumpkins

In this recipe we are using fresh pumpkin puree, but in a pinch you can definitely used canned pumpkin. To prepare our pumpkins, we start by giving the pumpkins a good washing.

Then cut the pumpkins in half, and scoop out the pumpkin “goop” and seeds. Our chickens love the pumpkin seeds!

To roast your pumpkins, set your oven to 400 degrees F. Take your freshly cleaned pumpkin pieces, and place them onto a cookie sheet. I like to use my Silpat mat or some parchment paper to make cleanup super easy. Place your pumpkin cut side down. If you need you can trim your pumpkin pieces smaller to fit on your cookie sheet.

We like to give the skins of the pumpkins a little coating of olive oil spray to help with roasting. After your oven is heated, place your pumpkins into the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes. Time all depends on the thickness of your pumpkins. You want to be able to pierce the pumpkin easily with a fork, as that is how you will know it’s done cooking!

Making the Puree

After your pumpkins are done cooking, carefully take the cookie sheet out of the oven, and allow the pumpkins to cool enough so they are easy to touch but still warm. At this point the pumpkin skin should come off very easily, leaving you the perfect cooked pumpkin pieces.

Remove the pumpkin pieces from the cookie sheet, and put into a bowl, allowing it to cool a little longer. At this point you have a few options for pureeing your pumpkin. You can use a potato masher, and mash your pumpkin, and it will be more lumpy using this method. You can use an immersion blender to puree your pumpkin. Our favorite method is to use our food processor to blend our pumpkin puree nice and smooth.

Making The Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin butter comes together very quickly after you have your pumpkin puree all ready. You will need to add the following ingredients to a large stockpot. We like to use the larger pot to prevent any boiling over.

• 4 Cups Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup (use the real kind!)
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Ts Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon, or Pumpkin Pie Spice (we love to use the pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 Ts Vanilla
• 1/4 Ts Sea Salt

Feel free to adjust your seasonings, and sugar in your pumpkin butter. We like ours a bit sweeter, but you can adjust to your liking.

Mix all your ingredients together, and cook on low heat until the mixture starts to boil. Be very careful, sometimes your pumpkin butter mixture can “spit” a bit when boiling down. Place the lid of your stockpot on top, venting one side to help. You want to cook your pumpkin butter 10-15 minutes until it’s the thickness you would like. Think spreadable consistently. Carefully remove your stockpot off the heat, when your mixture is done cooking.

Wrap It Up!

Allow your pumpkin butter to cool slightly, then pour into your favorite mason jars, the 4 oz small mason jars work great for pumpkin butter, and are the perfect size for gift giving too! This recipe will fill about 14 – 4 oz mason jars.

Your newly made pumpkin butter will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the fridge. You can use pumpkin butter on your favorite toast, scone, or biscuit. You can use your pumpkin butter to make a sweet ravioli, drizzle on pizza, and even add to a cocktail, use anywhere you want a sweet pumpkin touch.

Hopefully we have given you the inspiration to make some Maple Brown Sugar Pumpkin Butter! You won’t be disappointed with this fall inspired special treat!