Pumpkin jam recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 34 comments
Photo: Pumpkin jam
Sweet, tangy with a good ginger fizz, I’m delighted with this recipe. It uses the type of pumpkin grown for carving rather than eating. So you can make your pumpkin Jack O’ lantern and then recycle the pumpkin flesh into jam. Perfect for spreading on toast on a cold winter morning or hot jam tarts for a bonfire night party or even dressing a special steamed sponge pudding.
To be quite honest with you, the flesh of a carving type pumpkin is pretty neutral tasting but it does infuse flavours very well and gives the jam a good texture. Oded Schwartz has a great recipe for pumpkin marmalade in his book Preserving
There’s no need to test for setting point with this recipe. The jam is ready when a wooden spoon pulled across the pan reveals the base of the pan cleanly.
Pumpkin jam recipe
Ingredients:
1.5 kilo pumpkin. (Peeled, deseeded and grated – I used the Magimix for the grating)
300g of lemons (the zest and the juice)
200g of juicing oranges (just the juice)
1 small lime (just the juice)
1 litre of water
100g of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced into fine strips)
1 level tsp of ground ginger – or more to taste
Half a tsp of ground cinnamon
800g of white granulated cane sugar
Method:
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan or Maslin pan, put in all the ingredients except the sugar.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin and ginger has softened. Add the sugar and stir constantly until you are certain that it has dissolved completely. At this stage you can add a little more ginger and/or cinnamon to taste.
Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly (on a scale of 1-9 my ring was set to 8 ) stirring every now and then. The jam will gradually reduce and thicken (mine took about an hour).
The jam is ready when a wooden spoon pulled across the pan reveals the base of the pan cleanly.
This recipe made 4 x 450g jars and 3 small jars (like the round one in the photo). To make the pumpkin jam last longer pour into jars with pop down seals and hot water bath for 20 – 30 mins.
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I am a metrically challenged American… Do you have an American “standard measurement” recipe? I think I have converted everything, but I want to be sure the jam turns out right.
Thanks,
Corrine
See my reply to Leslie. Or buy a scale! Measuring in grams is far more accurate than using cups. That’s why professional bakers weigh ingredients.
Thanks Veronica.
After I posted, I saw your reply to Leslie and did go to the website you suggested.
I also considered the scale option.
Corrine
How many pounds is a 1.5 kilo pumpkin?
300g of lemon (juice & zest) equals approx.how many lemons?
200g of oranges – same Q – how many oranges???
100g of ginger equals how many cups?
and the last question…800g of sugar – how many cups is that, please?
Leslie, you can easily use an online converter to get the answers to these questions. I use http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm — it’s always served me well when I have to convert US recipes that use cups.
Veronica’s an angel!! Awesome site for conversions! Thank you so very much! xo
Oh, that’s good to know. I usually use the screw-top Kilner jars so that I know when there’s a proper seal. I guess if you make sure it’s all sterile and properly boiled, there’s little risk.
Many thanks! Off to make some jam! 😀
Having just hollowed out 2 pumpkins and being “into” jam-making this year, I thought to give this a try. However, searching through alternative recipes (shock horror) it cam to light that in the US they don’t recommend preserving anything to do with pumpkins because the lower pH apparently means there’s a risk of Clostridium botulinum bacteria thriving, despite the cooking process.
Had you heard of this before? I was wondering if that was why you’d recommended the 20-30 minute boil in jars.
Having made this yummy jam last year, one of the jars did go off really quickly but it turned out that I had probably let a little yeast fall in the jar when making bread in the same area, the rest stored fine and were amazing in flavour, just off to make some more! The boiling in the jars is to create a vacuum in the jars to help with the sealing I believe.
Can’t rate this jam highly enough! Just recommending it in my ‘Orange Pumpkin cake’ recipe.
We’ve already made two batches, and will have to make some more.
This is lovely, my first attempt ever of making any sort of jam, it is really tasty and enjoyed making it especially the lovely smells floating around the house this is very highly recommended by me, its a must make!!!!
Fabulous jam! You’re so right about the ginger and citrus additions – they add just the sparkle pumpkin needs.
I made a couple of small changes. I steamed my pumpkin for 10 mins first until it was soft (a recommendation from my hero Margeurite Patten’s preserving book). I put it in the pan with the citrus juices, and was about to add the litre of water when I decided against it. It already looked very liquid, so I think I saved some cooking time. I also finely grated the ginger rather than chopped it.
recipe good but i reduced the amount of water to 500ml. and added 500g of apple. this gave me 6 450ml jars. the cooking time was 21/2 hours. changes worked well.
thank you, good news!! just waiting for ginger to cook now, may have not chopped some of it up thinly enough, oops!
I’m just making this jam now, it smells amazing! I want to sell it but don’t want to hot water bath it, how long will it store for? thanks, Jane.
Hi Jane
There’s no need to hot water bath jam. It will last for at least a year.