Don’t just carve those pumpkins this year, use every scrap of goodness and make this tasty spicy Pumpkin Jam recipe so you can enjoy the bounty for longer.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Pumpkin jam isn’t one you’ll find in the shops and it’s delicious.
- This is a great recipe for using up all that pumpkin flesh from those halloween pumpkins.
- It’s ecconomical – pumpkin jam is super ecconomical as pumpkins are so cheap in the Autumn.
You can call this a pumpkin preserve or a pumpkin jam. either way this super tasty pumpkin spread is perfect for your toast in the morning or a cheeseboard in the evening and all other times inbetween.
This is a great way of using up that omnipresent pumpkin, and this way you get to have the damn thing taking over the pantry for months to come.
Aaaargh, there is just no escape from the dreaded pumpkin!
Ingredients for pumpkin preserve/jam
There aren’t many ingredients in this simple pumpkin jam recipe but in combination they really work and pack a punch in the flavour department.
Pumpkin of course.
The other fruit element here is citrus and I have used oranges and lemons. These give this pumpkin jam a real zing of flavour. It’s almost a pumpkin marmalade really.
Spices – no pumpkin recipe would be worth its salt without some spice. I’ve used ginger and chilli in my pumpkin jam recipe.
The other ingredient is sugar of course.
Do you need pectin to make pumpkin jam?
No, there is enough pectin in all the citrus you use in this pumpkin jam recipe so forget adding any pectin. Your pumpkin jam will det perfectly well without it.
Alternative ingredients
If you don’t happen to have any pumpkins to hand then you can make this jam with butternut squash instead.
The spices – add some cinnamon if you fancy, or just raid your spice drawer and add your favourites to make this pumpkin jam your own.
How to make pumpkin preserve/jam
Chop the pumpkin flesh into 2cm cubes so it will cook down quickly. When it comes to your citrus then peel the fruit and finely chop the peel as I have into tiny pieces.
Avoid the white pith on the fruit and chop up the flesh.
Bring together all your ingredients (apart from the sugar) and add 300ml of water. Boil then simmer for about 30 minutes till everything is tender.
Then add the sugar and bring to the boil till you reach the magic setting point (105C)
Carefully ladle your pumpkin jam into sterilised jars.
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
How much pumpkin jam will this make?
I got 4 x 200ml jars of pumpkin preserve from this easy recipe. Want more pumpkin jam? Then simply double up the recipe to suit the amount of pumpkin you have available.
How long will pumpkin preserve keep?
This pumpkin jam will keep for up to a year. Once opened store it in the fridge and use up your pumpkin preserve within a month.
Please Note – We do not usually do water bath or other canning methods here in the UK. Our preserves keep perfectly well without this.
How to serve pumpkin jam/preserve
I love this pumpkin preserve with cheese and crackers. Mixing sweet and savoury and cheese is sheer heaven to me.
Pumpkin jam is also great just as it is on toast or in scones. You can use it as a filling for a Victoria Sponge too.
Why not water it down just a little and use your pumpkin preserve as a glaze for turkey, chicken or pork when you are roasting them.
Stir some pumpkin jam into Asian dishes to add the hot sweet element to the mix.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Then check these out before you go;
simple pumpkin and tomato soup
Pumpkin and coconut soup with fresh basil
and why not check this out too
All you ever wanted to know about pumpkins and how to use them
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Pumpkin Preserve/jam
Ingredients
- 350 g pumpkin
- 175 g oranges
- 175 g lemons
- 20 g fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp red chilli minced
- 350 g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin into chunks and cut off the peel, now cut into pieces abour 2cm square and toss into a large pot/preserving pan.
- Slice the oranges and lemons into small pieces (peel and the inner flesh too) and add these to the pan.
- Cut the skin from the fresh ginger root and grate it into the pan. Now finely chop the chilli (remove the seeds, we don’t want to go too over the top here) and toss this in too.
- Add 600ml/1 pint of water and bring this to the boil. Now lower the heat and let it simmer away for 40 minutes, or until all the citrus peel is very soft. The pumpkin will be really soft by then too.
- Add the sugar and stir until it has completely dissolved. Raise the heat and bring it to the boil and keep it bubbling madly until it has really thickened so that when you put a spoonful on a saucer and run your finger (let it cool first!) through it, you get a clear channel and it doesn’t flow back together again.
- Spoon into sterilised jars and pop on the lid.
Thanks for sharing all these recipes for jams and jellies. This makes me think of my dear Grandma who put up a wonderful grape jam every fall. She was an expert canner and I remember fondly watching her work in the basement. I was fascinated by all she was able to do. She even made her own sausage! She was an incredible woman.
Thanks, Karon.
Patti xoxoxo
I’ve tried this one and it’s delicious ! I didn’t have chili pepper so I added a pinch of chili powder and it’s so spicy ! But still it’s great 🙂 Greetings from Poland 🙂
Hi Patrycja
Glad you liked it so much and good idea on the chilli powder.
K x
Mouthwatering Pumpkin dish looks delicious.. thanks for sharing
Could you tell me how long this will last in a pantry please? Looks great! I’m going to have a trillion pumpkins left over after Halloween so I intend on making a looot of jam jars, so many recipes say to store in the fridge for a month (before opening) but that isn’t an option for the vast quantity there will be lol
Hi there, with the amount of sugar in this recipe it should keep in the larder for about 6 months, store in fridge once it has been opened.This is a preserve not a chutney so can be used right away.
K x
Is it tru hat u can only use a certain type of pumpkin some are for carving some are for eating?
Thanks
Hi Gaya
Here in UK we get one type of pumpkin for everything and that’s what I use in my recipes.
K
My Mum always made pumpkin preserves and was a favourite accompaniment with toast in the am.Will make some this eeek.Thanks for the receipe.
Hi Helen
Hope you enjoy it and it brings back good memories.
K
Tried this recipe after eating pumpkin jam in France
.This is delicious.
Hi Chris
Glad you like this pumpkin jam recipe so much.
K
Hello and thank you for this most delicious looking recipe!!
Not being a cook, ‘granulated sugar’, can I use for example coconut sugar or maple sugar instead of white sugar? Or would that change the taste of the recipe?
Thank you!!
Hi Bekky
I have never used either coconut sugar or maple sugar for making jam so I’m afraid I can’t advise re flavour, though I imagine you would get some of the flavours of those sugars.
K