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With autumn in full swing, learning How To Preserve Pumpkins has never been more important. Canning, freezing, and dehydrating can all help you keep this fall favorite in your pantry longer!
Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Pumpkins
Nothing beats the satisfaction of watching the leaves transform into a million colors, and your pumpkin harvest yield it’s delicious bounty! And nothing can help you enjoy that beautiful pumpkin harvest more than turning them into treasures that last all year long.
Learning how to preserve pumpkins properly can save you money while ensuring delicious, nutritious pumpkin is always at your fingertips, so you can always enjoy your favorite fall squash. From freezing and canning to dehydrating, these time-tested preservation methods will help you enjoy that sweet, earthy pumpkin flavor much, much longer!
Table of Contents
When To Harvest Pumpkins
Harvest after the vines dry up, but before heavy frost. The skin should be tough and the correct color for the variety.
How To Store Pumpkins
Store your pumpkins only at room temperature.
Dehydrating Pumpkin
- CUT: Chop into strips about 1-inch wide and eel off rind. Scrape off fiber and seeds. Cut peeled strips into pieces about 1⁄8-inch thick.
- DIPPING: Water or steam blanch until tender
- Water blanch: 1 minute
- Steam blanch: 2-3 minutes
- DEHYDRATOR: 10-16 hours
- APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: tough to brittle
Canning Pumpkin
QUANTITY: An average of 16 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 10 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints – an average of 21⁄4 pounds per quart.
PREPARE PUMPKIN:
Wash, remove seeds, cut into 1-inch-wide slices, and peel.
CANNING PUMPKIN:
- Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes.
- Boil 2 minutes in water. Caution: Do not mash or puree.
- Fill jars with cubes and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.
- Adjust lids and process in Pressure Canner: pints for 55 minutes, quarts for 90 minutes.
Freezing Pumpkin
PREPARING PUMPKINS:
- Select full-colored mature pumpkin with fine texture.
- Wash, cut into cooking-size sections, and remove seeds.
FREEZING PUMPKINS:
- Cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, in a pressure cooker or in an oven.
- Remove pulp from rind and mash.
- To cool, place pan containing pumpkin in cold water and stir occasionally.
- Package, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace.
- Seal and freeze.
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Expert Tips
- Storage Time: Frozen pumpkin lasts 10-12 months, pressure-canned cubed pumpkin stays good for 2-3 years, and dehydrated pumpkin keeps for 8-10 months when stored properly. Refrigerated cooked pumpkin should be used within 3-5 days.
- Safety First: If you’re going to can pumpkin, keep in mind that only cubed pumpkin can be safely canned at home using a pressure canner – never attempt to can pumpkin puree or mashed pumpkin as it’s too dense for safe processing.
- Best Pumpkins to Preserve: Sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins), Cinderella pumpkins, and Musque de Provence varieties are ideal for preserving because they have dense, sweet flesh with less water content. Avoid large carving pumpkins as they’re bred for size, not flavor, and tend to be watery and bland when preserved
More Tips For Preserving The Harvest
Preserving Guide
How To Preserve Potatoes
Preserving Guide
How To Preserve Plums
Preserving Guide
How To Preserve Peppers
Preserving Guide
How To Preserve Pears
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