Today I am sharing with you one of my favourite jam recipes. My mother would make this every Autumn in the U.S.A, as it wasn't available there. It has become a must in our house. Unfortunately our dinner parties are practically non-existent at the moment, but I can still share these little jars of love with family and friends. I love driving up to their houses and just leaving one along with a little note. During this horrible pandemic, it is sure to put a smile on their faces. This is a recipe that requires a bit of slow cooking, and at the end, a bit of babysitting. I promise you the result is worth it.
This recipe yields 4 X120 g. servings, which is the perfect size. Once you open the sealed jars you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 months. Ours never lasts that long. Please follow my instructions on the sterilisation of the jars and equipment. It is crucial to preserving your jam.
This jam is delish with any cheese and pairs beautifully with red wine and Port. You can also top some Brie cheese with it and sprinkle it with pecans or walnuts, bake and enjoy.
Doce de Abóbora ❦ Pumpkin Jam
Makes 480 g. Perfect in 4 x 120 g. jars
Total time 2 1/2 hours
600 g. (prepared weight) Pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes.
My pumpkin weighed just over 1,500 g. I weighed out what I needed and froze the rest.
340 g. Granulated sugar
100 ml. Water
1 finger length strip of orange zest
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea/table salt
Pinch of ground black pepper, trust me :)
1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add all ingredients.
Simmer on a very low heat , covered for 1 hour.
After 1 hour,
2. After 1 hour, discard cinnamon stick and orange peel.
3. Puree pumpkin using an immersion/ stick blender. If you do not have one, you can simply use a potato masher, but this will yield a much chunkier jam.
4. On a low heat, continue to cook pureed pumpkin for another hour, stirring often. Never let mixture boil.
5. To test for doneness after 1 hour, spoon a dollop of jam on plate, if water runs from it, it is not ready. Cook another 15-20 mins. Always on a low heat, stirring often.
6. Jam is done when dollop is thickened and a spoon dragged in centre creates a "street" making the plate visible and without being watery. See photos.
7. Lift sterilised hot jars using tongs, let water drip out, but do not worry about any droplets in jar. Fill with hot jam using sterilised ladle/spoon. Immediately close jar, turn upside down on a clean tea towel. Do not place hot glass jars on a cold surface, as it may crack. Let cool completely.
Store jam in a cool dark place. Once opened, store in refrigerator. Use within 2 months. Unopened jam will keep much, much longer.
To sterilise jars:
Wash jars, seals and lids in hot soapy water. Attach lids and seals to clean jars. Place in a large pot and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for exactly 10 minutes. I also put my ladle in to sterilise, as it will be used to add jam to jars. Keep jars in the hot water until ready to fill. Do not fill cold jars with hot jam! Do not touch any inner part of sterilised jar. Fill with still hot jam, to the top, close and turn jar upside down. The heat will create a seal this way. Let cool.