Winter Pumpkin Preserves: 6 Simple and Tasty Recipes

The best thing you can do this autumn is to preserve pumpkin for winter. Various types of pumpkin are sold in many supermarkets. From pumpkin, you can make delicious salads, caviar, sauces, and desserts. Below are 6 recipes for preserves. They are easy to handle and won«t take much time.

Pumpkin Caviar

Tender, melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin caviar is a great alternative to zucchini caviar. It is aromatic and healthy, boosting immunity and aiding digestion. Carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes add different flavors to the pumpkin. The caviar stores for a long time — 6–8 months, so you can jar a large batch at once. Pumpkin caviar pairs well with potatoes, meat, and poultry, or you can simply spread it on bread or toast.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 1.5 kg;

• onion — 3–4 pieces;

• tomatoes — 3–4 pieces;

• garlic — 4–5 cloves;

• bell pepper — 1–2 pieces;

• carrots — 3–4 pieces;

• salt, black ground pepper — to taste;

• vegetable oil — for frying.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin and bell pepper into strips, onion into half-rings, tomatoes into cubes.

2. Finely chop the garlic, grate the carrots.

3. In a deep skillet with vegetable oil, fry the onion and garlic until golden. Add the bell pepper and carrots, sauté for 10–15 minutes.

4. Add the pumpkin to the skillet, salt, pepper, and stew on low heat covered for about 20–30 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the vegetables and leave for another 10 minutes.

5. Transfer the finished caviar into sterilized jars and seal.

Pumpkin Salad

This vitamin-rich salad is suitable for a weekday dinner or a festive table. The vegetables are stewed in their own juice and become very aromatic and soft. You can add a couple of spoons of tomato paste for a rich color and a tangy acidity.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 800 g;

• onion — 2–3 pieces;

• bell pepper — 3 pieces;

• tomatoes — 2 pieces;

• carrots — 1–2 pieces;

• sugar — 1 tbsp;

• apple cider vinegar — 40 ml;

• garlic — 3–4 cloves;

• vegetable oil — for frying;

• salt, black ground pepper — to taste.

Preparation:

1. In a deep skillet with vegetable oil, fry the finely chopped onion and grated carrots.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and bell pepper to the vegetables. Stew, stirring, for 10–15 minutes.

3. Add sugar, salt, black ground pepper to the vegetable mixture and mix. Leave for another 5 minutes.

4. Add the diced pumpkin to the skillet with vegetables. Stew covered for 10 minutes.

5. At the end, add the pressed garlic and apple cider vinegar, mix, and remove from heat.

6. Transfer the finished salad into sterilized jars and seal.

Spicy Pumpkin and Apple Sauce

From pumpkin and apples, you can make a great sauce for meat in winter — light and spicy. It will be simultaneously sweet, sour, and spicy. But if desired, you can omit the chili pepper. The sauce is best served with meat, fish, poultry, or even with spaghetti.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 1 kg;

• sour apples — 3–4 pieces;

• onion — 3 pieces;

• sugar — 100 g;

• lemon (zest) — 1 piece;

• hot pepper — 1–2 pods;

• ground coriander — 1 tsp;

• ground ginger — 1 tsp;

• cinnamon (powder) — 0.5 tsp;

• vegetable oil — for frying;

• salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin and apples into cubes, place in a pot, add sugar and lemon zest. Let stand for a couple of hours.

2. In a skillet with heated vegetable oil, fry the finely chopped onion.

3. Place the pot with pumpkin and apples on the heat, add the onion and finely chopped hot pepper. Stew on low heat for 30 minutes. At the end, add all spices and salt, mix.

4. Blend the mixture in a blender, then transfer back to the pot, boil for another 10 minutes, and jar.

Fermented Pumpkin

Pumpkin, like other vegetables, can also be fermented. It makes a very tasty snack. If desired, during preparation, you can add horseradish leaves, oak, cherry, or currant leaves, dill umbrellas. They will give the snack a special aroma. Properly fermented pumpkin will taste like crispy lightly salted cucumbers. It goes well with boiled potatoes or rice.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 600 g;

• water — 1 liter;

• salt — 20 g;

• garlic — 3 cloves.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin into large cubes. Place in a jar, add peeled garlic cloves.

2. Dissolve salt in room temperature water for the brine. Pour it into the jar. Leave for 3–4 days. If the pumpkin floats, place a weight on top. Every day, release air from the jar with a wooden stick.

3. Close the jar with a tight lid and refrigerate.

Pumpkin Puree with Condensed Milk

And now for desserts. Aromatic pumpkin puree with condensed milk has a tender consistency and pleasant taste. It is very easy to prepare. By the way, lemon juice can be replaced with citric acid. Pumpkin puree can be used as a filling for pies and pastries or as a topping for pancakes or fritters.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 500 g;

• condensed milk — 200 ml;

• lemon juice — 1 tsp;

• water — 200 ml.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin into medium cubes, place in a pot, add water, and stew for 15–20 minutes. Drain the water and blend in a blender.

2. Transfer the pumpkin puree back to the pot, add condensed milk, mix. Add lemon juice. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the pumpkin puree into sterilized jars and seal.

Pumpkin Jam

Pumpkin jam is a tasty and bright winter preserve. As in the previous recipe, citric acid can be replaced with lemon or orange juice. The jam is suitable as a filling for pies, croissants, bagels. And simply drinking tea with jam on a cold autumn evening will be pleasant.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin — 800 g;

• sugar — 500 g;

• citric acid — 1 tsp (without a heap);

• water — 50 ml.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin into medium cubes. Place in a pot, add water, bring to a boil on low heat.

2. Add sugar and citric acid, stew for another 15–20 minutes.

3. Place the pumpkin in a blender and blend until pureed.

4. Transfer the pumpkin back to the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes until desired thickness.

5. Transfer the jam into sterilized jars and seal.