Making Pumpkin Butter - YUM!

You're probably tired about reading about pumpkins.  This is the third post in a 3 part series focusing on pumpkins and I promise this is the last post on the subject for 'many moons.'  I remember as a kid REALLY enjoying opening a jar of apple butter and spreading some of that rich, brown, spiced stuff on a piece of breakfast toast.

When we were in the Great Smoky Mountains recently, we stopped at the Cade's Cove Visitor Center and a local family was offering samples of a multitude of different jams, jellies, and preserves that they made.  We ended up liking Pumpkin Butter the best and purchased a jar.  Well that jar is almost done and we have plenty of pumpkin.  So we decided to make some of our own using our fresh roasted pumpkin.

Tricia searched the Internet and found a recipe that looked good - and simple.  We like simplicity.  It's funny how we build up a lot of things in our minds as being a big deal, but when you actually get down to it, there's nothing to it.

Pumpkin Butter

2 cups pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

This is so doggone easy!  Take your 2 cups of pumpkin out of the freezer and bring to room temperature.

Pumpkin Meat thawing out

Add the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, and allspice and stir...

Mix together the first 4 ingredients

Tricia mixed and pureed the pumpkin and first four ingredients by putting it into a single serve blender we use for making our breakfast smoothies.  It did a great job of thoroughly mixing the pumpkin and spices.

Now she spooned the mixture into a 2 quart pot.  This is starting to look real good.

Now, all you do is cook over medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring as needed.  Notice how the color is changing to a richer, darker shade of orange-brown.

Now you add the final 3 ingredients - raw local honey, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Stir this up to combine into a nice concoction of palate pleasing pumpkin butter.

Adding honey, vanilla, and lemon juice

We scooped this into a couple of half-pint jars and we'll refrigerate.  The recipe states that "it'll last for 2-4 weeks in the fridge."  No it won't.  Russ and Laura are coming in from college.  These jars won't last the weekend!

2 jars of pumpkin butter

So Tricia made some waffles for breakfast and I spread some of the pumpkin butter on my waffle in lieu of my usual Steen's Pure Cane Syrup.

Breakfast of Champions

Here's the 'money' shot:

You can almost taste it, can't you?

Look at the creamy, spicy awesomeness.  I recommend you trying to make this with your pumpkin.  I have a hard time imagining that someone wouldn't like this delicious concoction.

The rapidly disappearing jar

Tomorrow:  No mention of pumpkins.  I promise.