a few weeks ago I emailed Dr. Andress (NCHFP) about two quite similar relish recipes which called for radically different amount of vinegar. Her response: " we have not been relying just on a formula approach or any standardized ratios. We have tested each of our new products several times, measuring actual pH values and changes during preparation. As long as the pH makes the product safe for boiling water canning, amounts may then be related to flavor and taste ..., etc." the recipes you cite may have been developed by different people with different tastes.... note, that the recipes call for fresh lemon juice, not bottled which is usually specified if it is needed for acidification. kay

Virginia, As has been mentioned, the standard safe-recipe sited advise against canning pumpking puree. **BUT** when the last recipe in Carol's post above, Early American Pumpkin Butter, was posted on this forum a few years ago, the discussion made clear, at least to MY satisfaction, that there was every reason to consider this recipe an exception. I am sorry that I don't still have the thread saved, but I have a few notes and remember clearly that Roberts-Dominguez's credentials were very highly praised and even some very conservative canners on this forum were satisfied. (I note that Carol's version suggests reducing the sugar, whereas in the original it says very clearly NOT to do so, for safety rasons. My guess is that Carol made that note to herself, having decided she wasn't going to can it anyway.) I haven't made it myself yet (though I think I will this fall), and I am not a certified Master Preserver or anything. But I follow the safety debates on this forum and read the available info carefully, so I am just offering my two cents. I'll reproduce the recipe again, exactly as i cut and pasted it, with the canning instructions included. Good luck! Zabby Early American Pumpkin Butter Makes 5 pints This recipe makes a perfect holiday gift. The traditional spicing and hint of maple sweetness will enhance old-fashioned holiday meals. For food safety reasons, do NOT reduce the amount of sugar or syrup unless you plan to store the results in the refrigerator. 6 cups cooked sugar pumpkin puree (see instructions below; or two 29-ounce cans pumpkin 2 cups pure maple syrup (see note) 2 cups light corn syrup (see note) 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (see note) 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground mace 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Put the pumpkin puree in a large, heavy-bottomed, nonaluminum pot; stir in the maple syrup and corn syrup. When these are thoroughly combined, add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, mace and vanilla. Set the pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to boil, partially cover it; the mixture will spatter profusely. Cook at a slow boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until it thickens and turns a darker color, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, wash 5 pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs. Ladle the hot butter into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes (20 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet). To make pumpkin puree: Either bake or broil the fruit. Bake whole pumpkins on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven until softened and collapsed. (Be sure to poke holes in them first, or they will explode in the oven.) Scoop the pulp away from the peel. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor. Or, boil peeled chunks of fresh pumpkin until softened, then puree the cooked pulp. Note: Pumpkin is a low-acid food and needs this amount of sugar and syrup to make it safe to can by the boiling-water canner method. -- Adapted from "The Art of Accompaniment" by Jeffree Sapp Brooks Copyright 2003 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved.

My japs are bigger than in the shops now, but I don't think they are ripe. I accidently picked one (it snapped off) and so I cut it open. It was unripe but edible, though I didn't like it much. My guinea pigs and rabbits loved it. I have at least three full-sized pumpkins and heaps of small ones at varying stages of develpoment. The damned vine keeps growing and flowering. When do they stop and start to die off? Donna

Trader Joe’s carries Pumpkin Butter in the fall. People rave about it. I bought some last year and didn’t care for it. To me it tasted more like pumpkin pie spice and not enough like pumpkin. I love apple butter and it was nothing like it. The consistency was too thin, also, more like a sauce: it would slide right off whatever you put it on. I was on a local gardening forum and someone was talking about making her own pumpkin butter from the pumpkins she grew. It looked so much better and thicker than the Trader Joe’s version that it got me thinking in that vein of how to use my pie pumpkins. (I buy a couple to use on my porch for Halloween, then eat them after. The first year I did this, it was so thin it was good only for soup.) She’s the one that cooked it down in the slow cooker to make it thicker after roasting. Using it in quickbread is far more likely than in any other form. I had a pumpkin cinnamon scone a few weeks ago that was really tasty.