Pumpkin Pickles
These pumpkin pickles are a nice change from the usual sweet pumpkin treats. They make a great pairing with a cheese plate and add color to any autumn meal.

HandmadePictures/Shutterstock
Photo Credit:
HandmadePictures/Shutterstock
Ingredients
4 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 sticks cinnamon
10 whole cloves
Instructions
Steam pumpkin until barely tender, about 10 minutes (don’t let the pumpkin touch the boiling water or it will get mushy). Drain thoroughly and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add pumpkin, return to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and leave the pumpkin in the syrup; refrigerate for 24 hours.
Heat mixture to simmering and cook 5 minutes. Remove spices and pack pumpkin into sterilized jars. Fill with syrup. Seal and process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Yield:
Makes about 3 pints.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
PUMPKIN PICKLES
These sound wonderful! My question is regarding the 2 sticks cinnamon; I have 3" and also 6" sticks, which do I use? Thank you.
how to make pumpkin pickles
Hi, Susan. We recommend the 3-inch long sticks. Thanks for your question!
Pumpkin
Do I leave the peel on the pumpkin ?
Peeled
No, the pumpkin should be peeled prior to pickling.
pickled pumpkin
I have some in freezer - how would they work? Too mushy?
pumpkin pickles recipe
Hi, Liz. We would not recommend using frozen pumpkin. You are right–too mushy.
Post bottling storage
Have never tried making pumpkin pickles before so I'm comparing various recipes. Some recipes say to refrigerate the bottled pickled after preparation. Is this the only way to store them or can they be left at room temperature after the jars have sealed ?
how to make pumpkin pickles
The recipe above uses the boiling water bath method so these could be stored outside of the refrigerator until you open them. If the pickles are not processed, you should store them in the fridge.
hi! how long after filling
hi! how long after filling the jars and sealing them are the pickles ready to eat? do I have to wait? thanks!
To allow pickles to mellow,
To allow pickles to mellow, wait at least 3 weeks before opening.
What kind of seal is used for
What kind of seal is used for this?
I live at 8500 ft. Would 15
I live at 8500 ft. Would 15 minutes boiling time be enough? Would 20 minutes be safer?
Hello, Karen. At 8500 ft.,
Hello, Karen. At 8500 ft., you need to add 20 minutes to the processing time.
Is the refrigeration step
Is the refrigeration step necessary if I am going to can them? Can they go straight from the simmer to the jars?
Yes, that step is necessary.
Yes, that step is necessary. Enjoy, Jerry!
pumpkin pickles
Something to tryouts