Peter Piper's Pickled Pumpkin

1 ea Pumpkin, 5 to 6 lbs

4 c To 5 cups sugar *

1 qt White or cider vinegar

3 c Water

2 ea Sticks cinnamon

2 ea Chunks fresh ginger root

-(1/2 inch chunks) OR 1/4 c Chopped crystallized ginger

1 tb Whole allspice

1 1/2 ts Whole cloves

6 oz Frozen orange juice

-concentrate; thawed * Or you may use 2 or 3 cups sugar and 2 cups of honey. The recipe makes eight to nine 1 pint jars. You will need the basic equipment for boiling water bath canning. 1. Organize and prepare ingredients, equipment, and work space.

2. Wash the pumpkin, cut it in 1 inch chunks, and peel. You should

have about 4 quarts of chunks. 3. In a preserving kettle, combine sugar (or sugar honey combination),

vinegar, water, and spices. (Tie spices in cheesecloth, if desired.) 4. Heat over high heat until boiling, STIRRING CONSTANTLY.

5. Continue to heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.

6. Stir in the pumpkin chunks and orange juice concentrate and heat to

boiling. 7. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until

pumpkin is just barely tender, about 30 minutes. 8. Ladle into hot jars to within 1/4 inch of tops, spooning in the hot

liquid from kettle. Run a slim, non metal tool down along the insides of jars to release any air bubbles. Add additional hot liquid to within 1/4 inch of tops, if necessary. 9. Wipe tops and threads of jars with a damp clean cloth.

10. Put the lids and screw bands in place as manufacturer directs.

11. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Follow basic steps

for boiling water bath canning, 10 through 18. Source: Vegetable Gardening Encyclopedia Typos by Dorothy Flatman 1995