# Canning Pumpkin & Butternut



## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

So my sister grew some little sugar pumpkins and gave me some to can... what a pain. Was it just this crop or do all of them have such thin walls (half inch by the time I cut the rind off) because they are small? I only cut up 4 of them so I got 7 wide-mouth pints (cut in cubes). I also cut up some butternut squash to finish out the canner load - what a breeze! I'd never canned winter squash before, so it was fun to do something new. Followed Jackie Clay's instructions.

So I've read that butternut can be used like pumpkin for pies, and that when you buy seasoned pumpkin pie filling, it usually has butternut in it, and now I can see why!

Please share your pumpkin canning experience (if you canned in cubes like we're supposed to now) and if you've used butternut as a pumpkin substitute for pies, cakes, cookies, etc. I'm trying to decide if I should grow sugar pumpkins next year or see if there is a larger variety with good flavor, or skip it and stick with just butternut.

Thanks!


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

My friend gave me two cushaw (sp) squash this year. I LOVE them. I just cut up the neck and canned it. I got about two dozen pints from each squash neck plus all that I used instead of canning it. 
I baked the "bowl" of the squash, then scraped it off. I use it to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheese cake. I prefer it to pumpkin. It is sweet, and I do like the taste better than pumpkin. I kept two quarts of seeds to plant some of my own next year. They are my new favorite squash.
Google

I also cooked up a dozen butternut squash, using mainly the necks. I don't have the patience to mess with the bowl end of butternuts because it isn't worth the work for the amount of flesh they have. You can just use the fleshy neck and feed the rest to the chickens or other critters. I save a bunch of seeds, then toss the rest. I like butternut most as a side dish because it has such a rich nutty flavor. You can use it in place of pumpkin, but it has a nuttier flavor.
All together out of the 2 cushaw I got over 5 doz pints of squash, and 2doz out of all the butternut.

I actually just cooked down all the squashes and just canned the puree. I don't waste time trying to chunk it and can it. It takes up too much room that way, and too much time plus it's extra work. I'm not worried that it will hurt us if it is pureed. We cook it before we eat it anyway.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

A couple of years ago, someone (who shall remain nameless) sent me some puree (of a type I will not name so as to hide the identity of said person) and it molded in the jar. I took off the lid - which was quite easy, since it lost it's seal) and there was about an inch of mold on top of the puree.

Be careful. It's not recommended to can because the heat doesn't penetrate to the center of the jar.

The bowl of the squash is excellent stuffed with meatloaf.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Neck pumpkins are the way to go. They look like a butternut on steroids. The neck part on the ones I got last year (purchased from farmer's market) had necks between 2 and 3 feet long. I forgot to save the seeds from the one I baked last month. I have to remember to save the seeds from the one still in the basement.


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## simplegirl (Feb 19, 2006)

I think the only recommended way to can pumpkin is in chunks if I remember right. I just cook the pumpkins and then puree and freeze that. It never lasts very long anyway since we like it so much.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

suitcase_sally said:


> Be careful. It's not recommended to can because the heat doesn't penetrate to the center of the jar.



Mine has never molded. I can't speak to how anyone else canned it though.


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## shellmar (Apr 4, 2008)

I have never canned pumpkin or squash, I usually just freeze it. 

I think the butternut are easier to prepare than the pumpkin. I use the butternut for pies and bread. We really like them, I think they have great flavor.

I have a few butternut that I need to take care of. I am going to try something new this time, I'm going to dehydrate them. Wish me luck!


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