Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Preserves

Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Preserves

The holidays are over but we still have a pumpkin and a butternut squash sitting on our kitchen counter, waiting for their turn to become something delicious (unless they’ve gone bad already).

I will most likely make them into sweet preserves, in which chunks of squash are cooked with  sugar until golden and tender. They are so good! Serve them as your dessert with a cup of tea, slather on your toast for a quick breakfast (your toast will never taste the same!) and why not spoon it onto your ice cream, too. Endless possibilities for curious minds and palates.

Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Preserves

Pictured here are butternut squash preserves I  made a couple of month ago and they are gone. Time to get busy making a new  batch!

Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Preserves

Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Preserves
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Once cooked, small cubes of pumpkin or butternut squash turn into tender golden delights, swimming in lavish, honey-sweet syrup. Remember to keep the one-to-one ratio of peeled fruit to sugar. I like to add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the cooked preserves. It adds an interesting twist to the overall sweetness.
Author:
Recipe type: Preserves
Serves: 2 pints
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds seeded and peeled pumpkin or butternut squash
  • 2 pounds granulated sugar
  • 2 cups water
Instructions
  1. Using a sharp knife or a crinkle cutter, cut the pumpkin or butternut squash into 1-inch cubes.
  2. Place the cubes in a wide basin pan or a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Then, maintaining a gentle simmer, cook until the fruit is golden and tender but holds its shape nicely, about 2 hours.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the preserves to cool.
  4. Meanwhile, sterilize a canning jar in boiling water and dry thoroughly.
  5. Spoon the preserves into the jar and seal it tightly. Keep in a cool, dry place. Serve in round preserve bowls, to share.
 

2 Comments

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  1. Interesting. I hadn’t thought of doing murebbesi with butternut squash. I have never seen it sold in Baku…but now, I will try it!

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