In just a few short days Autumn will be upon us once again. I have to admit it is my most favorite time of the year. Cool breezes, wonderful scents and spices flowing through the air wafting out of neighbors kitchens, changing of the leaves, Halloween, picking pumpkins....OH, wow sorry there, I was in dreamland and the word pumpkins is what I need to talk to you about.
Pumpkin is the number one favorite Fall goody. Pumpkin pies, breads and one of my favorites, pumpkin butter..ummmm. However, there is some bad news on the canning home front. The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation clearly states DO NOT can pumpkin butter.
Why you ask? When you cook the flesh (or even using canned pumpkin) of the pumpkin it becomes real dense, this makes it very hard for your water bath and even your pressure canner to hit the high heat of 240 degrees needed to kill off botulism spores. Yep you heard that right, botulism.
Now before you shoot the messenger, I know many of you have been canning pumpkin butter for a long time with no issues however, it's your call to take that risk or not.
Most of the winter squashes have a low acidic content to it and without hitting that high temperature of 240 degrees those spores can very well grow into their toxic state.
Now, finding the silver lining to every bad situation you can freeze your pumpkin butter after canning and it also does very well in the fridge.
Until next time, see you around the kitchen table.
I Like Hugs 'n' Kisses But What I Really
Is Help With The DISHES!
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