1 large pumpkin
sugar
cinnamon
pickling salt
ground ginger
cloves
nutmeg
allspice
*You’ll also need waterbath canning equipment, unless you’re going to use or freeze the puree immediately.*
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds (reserving them), and place in a large baking dish, cut-side down. Add about 2 cups of water to the pan. Bake until meat pulp is tender. Allow to cool (reserve liquid), and you will be able to peel it easily.
Place pumpkin and water in blender. Cover and blend on medium just until smooth. Place puree in a large pot over the stove. For each 3 cups pumpkin, stir in 1 cup of sugar, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ¾ tsp pickling salt, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp cloves, 1¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp allspice. Bring to a boil.
Ladle into hot jars within ½” of top. Seal and process in boiling waterbath for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Yields: several quarts, depending on the size of your pumpkin
Time to make: 3 hr
To make pumpkin pie filling:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix 1 quart pumpkin puree, 4 eggs, and 13 ounces of evaporated milk. Place 4 cups of the mixture into prepared crust, then divide the remainder into 6 ounce custard cups or tart pastries. Bake for 15 minutes (custards should bake in a pan of water upto within ½” of top). Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for about 45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
Source: Kathy Hoffman