Pumpkin Butter: The Answer to Pumpkin Pie Spice EVERYTHING

In the past I've talked about apple butter, and roasted pumpkin, and pumpkin pie, and pumpkin puree, and pumpkin soup... but how about pumpkin butter?   Ok Guys... THIS is the answer to how you can put pumpkin pie spice in everything this season.  From scratch.  With real pumpkin.   Use this butter on crackers or toast for a yummy snack (my 2-year-old agrees) or in place of canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree in any baked good recipe.    It's that easy.  Oh, and it makes your house smell amazing while it's cooking.    Give it a whirl!  I know you have pumpkins sitting on your porch right now getting ready to be carved anyway... right?

Pumpkin Pie Spice EVERYTHING Pumpkin Butter

2 small pumpkins

3/4 cup white sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 cup apple cider (or 1/3 cup lemon juice)

2 cups water (or 1 inch in the bottom of a crockpot)

2 tbsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

3/4 tsp allspice

Carve out  2 pumpkins.  Carve out all of the meat and reserve the seeds.

 Either carve the shells into jack-o-lanterns or use them as really cute soup bowls/tureens.  

Clean and soak the seeds in brine overnight to be roasted the next day.

YUM! nothing better than crunchy Omega 6's and seasalt! 

Put the pumpkin meat into a large crockpot.  Put in all the other ingredients and cook on high for about 3 hours, or until the pumpkin becomes soft enough to mash.  

Then, put the mashed pumpkin through a sieve to get all the remaining hard pieces/seed particles out of it. 

Put the strained pumpkin into an uncovered pot on the stove and cook it until the desired thickness is reached. I like mine to be the thickness of spreadable jam. 

When the house smells amazing and your toddler wanders into the kitchen asking  "where's the pie???!", you know it's done.  

I ended up with 2 pints of Pumpkin Butter from this recipe. 

Either use right away or store in the refridgerator for up to 3 weeks unopened or in the freezer for up to a year.  It is actually not recommended by the CDC to can pumpkin butter in a waterbath.  So, small batches are key.  

Enjoy!  It'll disappear fast!