Pickled pumpkin: 11 recipes for the winter

Pumpkin is a bright and very healthy vegetable that any housewife who has grown it in her garden can rightfully be proud of. It is stored well in normal room conditions, but pickled pumpkin for the winter can turn out to be such a delicacy that it is even difficult to imagine. After all, the vegetable itself has a rather neutral taste, but has the amazing property of absorbing all the tastes and aromas of its neighbors in the jar. This means that the palette of flavors of pickled pumpkin, which can be created using a variety of additives and spices, is truly inexhaustible.

How to pickle pumpkin for the winter

For pickling for the winter, varieties that are usually classified as nutmeg are best suited. Large-fruited varieties also have firm, sweet flesh that is easy to experiment with.You just need to check the fruits for ripeness, since all the most delicious varieties are late-ripening, which means they ripen closer to mid-autumn.

The skin of dessert varieties is usually thin, it is easy to cut, and the flesh of ripe fruits has a rich, very beautiful orange hue.

Ripe fruits can be easily identified by the color of the stalk - it should be dry and dark brown in color.

To create any preparation for the winter from a pumpkin, you first need to cut it up. That is, cut into 2-4 parts, remove the entire central fibrous part with seeds, and also cut off the peel. The thickness of the cut skin should not exceed 0.5 cm. The seeds do not need to be thrown away. If you dry them, they can turn out to be a wonderful and very healthy delicacy in winter.

The remaining pumpkin pulp is cut into pieces of a convenient size and shape: cubes, strips or slices, the thickness of which should not exceed 3 cm.

To ensure that the pumpkin pieces retain their attractive orange hue during the pickling process, they are blanched in salted water before production. To do this, dilute 1 tsp in 1 liter of water. salt, heat until boiling and place pieces of vegetables in water for 2-3 minutes. After which they are immediately caught with a slotted spoon and transferred to ice water.

Pumpkin is traditionally pickled in a vinegar solution with the addition of salt, sugar and various spices, depending on the recipe. Adding vinegar at the very beginning of marinating plays a decisive role - it is the acid that prevents the pumpkin pieces from boiling and turning into porridge. They remain dense and even slightly crispy.The more vinegar used in a winter recipe, the denser the pieces will remain and the richer the taste of the preparation will be. But table vinegar can always be replaced with more natural varieties: apple or wine. And also use citric acid.

The amount of sugar for pickling pumpkin depends on the recipe and the taste preferences of the housewife. Since the vegetable has its own sweetness, it is better to control the process by tasting the finished dish.

Finally, a little about spices. To marinate pumpkin, you can use almost the entire range of currently known spices, and each time the taste of the preparation will be different from the previous one. Pickled pumpkin is especially respected in the Baltic countries, and in Estonia it is practically a national dish. They even call it half-jokingly - “Estonian pineapple.” In these countries, up to 10 different spices are traditionally used at a time to give pickled pumpkin an exotic flavor. For example, adding cinnamon and star anise will make the pickled snack taste like melon. And the pineapple flavor comes from adding allspice, cloves and ginger.

Some recipes for pickled pumpkin for the winter with photos are presented below, but the scope for your own creativity remains unimaginable.

Pumpkin pickled for the winter without sterilization

Below is an almost classic recipe according to which pickled pumpkin for the winter can be prepared without unnecessary hassle, but it turns out very tasty.

What you need to prepare for soaking:

• 2 kg peeled pumpkin;
• 1 liter of water;
• 1 tsp. salt.

For the marinade:

• 1 liter of water;
• 100 ml 9% vinegar;
• 100-200 g sugar;
• 10 buds of cloves;
• 10 peas of allspice;
• a pinch of ground dry ginger and nutmeg.

You can also use fresh ginger, finely grated.

Preparing this recipe, although it takes 2 days, is not at all difficult.

1. The peeled pumpkin is cut into strips or cubes. Place in a saucepan, add salted solution and leave for 12 hours.
   
2. The next day, the water for the marinade is heated to a boil, spices and sugar are added.
   Attention! Those spices that are placed in their entirety are first placed in a gauze bag so that later they can be easily removed from the marinade.
3. Cook for about 5 minutes, remove the bag of spices and add vinegar.
4. Pieces of soaked pumpkin are placed in a colander, allowing the water to drain, and placed in the marinade.
5. Boil for about 10 minutes, then put into pre-sterilized jars, pour in hot marinade and roll up.

Pickling pumpkin for the winter: recipe with cinnamon

In exactly the same way, it is easy to pickle pumpkin for the winter with the addition of ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.

All ingredients remain the same, but add 1 cinnamon stick per 1 kg of pumpkin pulp.

Quick pickled pumpkin recipe

According to this recipe, you can enjoy the finished snack within a day.

You will need:

• 1 pumpkin, weighing about 2 kg.
• 1 liter of water;
• 0.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 0.5 cups sugar;
• 5 lemongrass leaves;
• 5 g of Rhodiola rosea herb (or golden root).

Manufacturing:

1. The vegetable is peeled and seeded, cut into thin slices and blanched for several minutes in boiling water.
2. At the same time, prepare the marinade: boil water, add sugar, salt, citric acid and rhodiola and lemongrass leaves.
3. Blanched pumpkin sticks are placed in sterile glass jars, poured with boiling marinade and immediately sealed with sterile lids.
4. For additional natural sterilization, the jars are turned over, wrapped with something warm on top and left to cool in this state for a day.

Recipe for pickled pumpkin with mint and garlic

This winter snack recipe produces a very original taste and aroma that is hard to resist.

For a 1 liter jar you will need:

• 600 g pumpkin pulp;
• 3-4 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tbsp. l. wine vinegar;
• 2 tsp. natural honey;
• 1 tsp. dry mint;
• 2 tsp. salt.

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin pulp into cubes and blanch.
2. Chop the garlic into thin slices.
3. Mix pumpkin, garlic and mint thoroughly in a deep bowl.
4. Lightly tamping the mixture into sterile jars.
5. Add honey, vinegar and salt to the top of each jar.
6. Then fill the jar with boiling water, cover with a lid and place for calcination in an oven preheated to 120 °C for 20 minutes.
7. Afterwards, roll up the jars and leave them wrapped to cool.
8. The appetizer will be available for tasting only after two weeks.

A simple recipe for pumpkin marinated with lemon

In a similar way, you can prepare a very aromatic pickled pumpkin with citrus fruits, but without adding vinegar.

You will need:

• 300 g peeled pumpkin pulp;
• 1 large lemon;
• 1 orange;
• 500 ml water;
• 280 g sugar;
• 1 star anise;
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon;
• 2-3 buds of cloves;

1. Pieces of pumpkin and orange are laid out in layers in jars.
2. Pour boiling marinade made from water, sugar, grated lemon and spices.
3. Sterilize for 25 minutes and roll up.

How to pickle pumpkin with honey in jars for the winter

In a similar way, fragrant pickled pumpkin is made with the addition of honey instead of sugar. Ingredients are required in the following quantities:

• 1 kg pumpkin pulp;
• 1 liter of water;
• 150 ml apple cider vinegar;
• 150 ml of any honey, except buckwheat;
• 2 clove buds;
• 4 black peppercorns.

Sterilize the workpiece for about 15-20 minutes.

Pickled pumpkin for the winter: a recipe for Estonian cuisine

Estonians, for whom pickled pumpkin is a national dish, prepare it a little differently.

Prepare:

• about 1 kg of pumpkin pulp;
• 1 liter of water;
• 1 liter of vinegar 6%;
• half a pod of hot pepper - optional and to taste;
• 20 g salt;
• a few bay leaves;
• 4-5 g of spices (cloves and cinnamon);
• a few black peppercorns.

Preparation method:

1. The vegetable is cut into small slices, blanched and transferred to cold water.
2. After cooling, distribute into clean glass jars.
3. Prepare the marinade: add all the spices to the water, boil for 3 minutes, add vinegar.
4. Pour pumpkin pieces into jars with slightly cooled marinade and, covering with lids, leave in the room for 2-3 days.
5. After these days, the marinade is poured into a saucepan, heated to a vigorous boil and poured over the pumpkin again.
6. Then all that remains is to tighten the jars.

Spicy recipe for pickled pumpkin with hot peppers

In this recipe, winter squash is marinated with more conventional ingredients to create a versatile savory appetizer.

Prepare:

• 350 g pumpkin pulp;
• 1 onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 1 pod of hot pepper;
• 400 ml water;
• 100 ml vinegar 9%;
• 50 g sugar;
• 20 g salt;
• 10 black peppercorns;
• 70 ml vegetable oil;
• 4 pieces each bay leaf and cloves.

Preparation:

1. The onion is cut into half rings, the pumpkin into cubes, and the garlic into slices.
2. Remove the seeds from the hot pepper and cut into strips.
3. The jars are sterilized and a mixture of chopped vegetables is placed in them.
4. The marinade is prepared in the standard way: add spices and spices to boiling water, cook for 6-7 minutes, add vinegar and vegetable oil.
5. Boiling marinade is poured over vegetables, rolled up and cooled under a blanket.

Pumpkin marinated for the winter with apples and spices

Preparing pumpkin for the winter in apple juice is rich in vitamins and flavor.

Required:

• about 1 kg of pumpkin pulp;
• 1 liter of apple juice, preferably freshly squeezed;
• 200 g sugar;
• 40 ml apple cider vinegar;
• a few pinches of ground ginger and cardamom.

Very easy and quick to prepare:

1. The vegetable is cut in any convenient way.
2. Sugar, vinegar and spices are added to apple juice, boiled and poured over pumpkin sticks.
   
3. Cool to room temperature and cook again for about 20 minutes.
4. The pumpkin is transferred to prepared jars, poured with boiling marinade syrup and rolled up.

How to pickle pumpkin with horseradish and mustard for the winter

Required:

• 1250 g peeled pumpkin;
• 500 ml wine vinegar;
• 60 g salt;
• 100 g sugar;
• 2 onions;
• 3 tbsp. l. grated horseradish;
• 15 g mustard seeds;
• 2 dill inflorescences.

Preparation:

1. Cover the diced pumpkin with salt and leave for 12 hours.
2. In a boiling marinade made from water, vinegar and sugar, blanch the vegetable cubes in small portions and transfer to a colander to drain excess liquid.
3. The cooled cubes are placed in jars along with onion rings, pieces of horseradish, mustard seeds and dill and poured with hot marinade.
4. Leave to soak for another day.
5. After which the marinade is drained, boiled and poured over the pumpkin again.
6. The jars are immediately sealed for the winter.

Sweet pickled pumpkin recipe

The sweet, sour and aromatic taste of this winter preparation will definitely attract all those with a sweet tooth.

For 1 kg of peeled pumpkin you should prepare:

• 500 ml water;
• 1 tbsp. l. vinegar essence;
• 250 g sugar;
• 4 cloves;
• 3 peas each of black and allspice;
• a piece of fresh ginger, 2 cm long;
• 2 pinches of nutmeg;
• cinnamon and anise - optional.

From this amount of ingredients you can get approximately 1300 ml of the finished pickled product.

Preparation:

1. Pumpkin pulp is cut into small cubes.
2. Vinegar essence and sugar are diluted in warm boiled water.
3. Pour the resulting marinade over the vegetable cubes and leave them to soak at least overnight.
4. In the morning, put all the spices in a gauze bag and send it to the pumpkin to soak.
5. Then put the pan on heat, bring to a boil, boil for 6-7 minutes over low heat under a lid and set aside for at least half an hour.
6. The pumpkin pieces should become translucent but remain firm.
7. The bag of spices is removed from the preparation, and the pumpkin is placed in sterile jars.
8. The marinade is heated again to a boil and the jars of pumpkin are poured up to the neck.
9. Seal with sterile caps and leave to cool.

Rules for storing pickled pumpkin

Pumpkin under sealing lids is stored in a cool place without light for about 7-8 months.

Conclusion

Pickled pumpkin for the winter is a preparation that is very diverse in taste and composition of ingredients. But it is very tasty in sweet, salty and spicy form.

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