Pumpkins are true all-rounders in the kitchen: In addition to hearty dishes such as soups or stir-fried vegetables, they also form the basis for sweet dishes such as cakes or mousse. The autumn vegetables can also be pickled in a variety of ways without any problems.

Pumpkin can be pickled sweet or sour

Sweeten the pumpkin

The fruity-sweet pumpkin flavor is very suitable for highlighting in sweet treats. One possibility is the sweet compote-like pickling of pumpkin. It tastes wonderful with waffles or rice pudding, for example.

  1. Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, deseed and peel it (depending on the variety) and cut the flesh into small cubes.
  2. Boil half a liter of water per kg of pumpkin, dissolve 150 g of sugar in it and add 8 tablespoons of vinegar.
  3. Add the pumpkin pieces, bring to the boil again and simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes.
  4. Just before the end of the cooking time, you can stir in almonds, raisins and/or spices such as cinnamon or cloves. All of this goes well with the sweet pickled pumpkin.
  5. Distribute the pumpkin pieces and the liquid into boiled jars and seal them immediately.
  6. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dark place and use the sweet pickled pumpkin within six months.

Cook pumpkin jam

Another sweet recipe that can be used to preserve pumpkin is the following for pumpkin jam. Whether on pancakes, rolls or as a sweet addition to a cheese platter, pumpkin is a welcome change in a jam jar.

  1. Wash, deseed and peel the squash if necessary, then cut the flesh into cubes.
  2. If you would like the pumpkin jam to be a little fruitier, you can prepare diced apples.
  3. In a large saucepan, sauté the cubes in a little water for a few minutes and then puree them.
  4. For each kg of pumpkin, stir 500 g of 2:1 jam sugar into the pumpkin puree.
  5. Prepare the jam jars by boiling them or sterilizing them in the oven.
  6. Place the pot back on the stove and bring the sweetened fruit puree to a boil while stirring. As soon as it boils bubbling, the cooking time of 4 minutes begins.
  7. Fill the prepared pumpkin jam into the prepared jars (full to the brim) and close them immediately.
  8. The cooled jars should be stored in a cool, dark place and used up within a year.

Pickle pumpkin in vinegar

Pumpkin cubes pickled in vinegar are a savory delight. They taste good with cheese sandwiches or sausage platters, but can also be a tasty addition to meat dishes.

  1. Wash the squash, remove the seeds and peel if necessary. Cut the flesh into cubes.
  2. Prepare a vinegar broth by mixing white wine vinegar and water 1:1 on the stove. You need 0.5 l of liquid per kg of pumpkin, in which you dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt and 100 g of sugar.
  3. Add the pumpkin cubes to the boiling broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Then scoop the pumpkin cubes out of the broth and spread them over the prepared sterile glasses. You can add spices such as mustard or peppercorns to the jars.
  5. Boil the vinegar again. Fill the glasses with the boiling hot liquid; the liquid must completely cover the squash pieces.
  6. Seal the jars immediately and let them cool.
  7. Let the pickled pumpkin sit for at least four weeks. It can be stored in a cool, dark place for at least six months.

Ferment pumpkin

Fermented vegetables, in this case pumpkin, which are pickled with lactic acid, have a pleasantly sour taste and are very rich in vitamins. Insertion is very easy - the main work is done by the lactic acid bacteria.

  1. Wash and deseed the pumpkin and cut into small cubes. A Hokkaido pumpkin is ideal because it does not have to be peeled and the lactic acid bacteria required for fermentation are on the peel.
  2. Take sterile mason jars and tamp in the pumpkin pieces and spices (cinnamon/cloves/cilantro or pepper/mustard seeds/juniper) if desired. Air pockets should be avoided.
  3. Make a brine by boiling water and dissolving 20 g of salt (no iodized salt) per liter in it.
  4. Let the brine cool and cover the squash pieces with it. To keep the gourd under the liquid, you should place a clean rock or other heavy object on top.
  5. Seal the mason jars with a fresh rubber ring and let sit at room temperature for at least a week. This is how lactic acid fermentation begins.
  6. Then place the jars in a cool, dark place and let them steep for another four weeks. Only then is the pumpkin fully fermented and can be used up within a year.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

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Vegetable garden