Faux Pumpkin Butter - Safe to can!

Pumpkin Powder

Some people want to find a safe way to make a pumpkin butter that we can 'put up' for long term storage. Since the density of pumpkin when mashed isn't safe I think that I have found the flavor using other ingredients that are safe and will give you the butter you desire.

Note: I purchased the pumpkin powder from MySpiceSage for this recipe specifically. The cost of 1oz of the powder is $2.50. If you don't want to spend the money you could dry your pumpkin and grind it for a possible home made powder.

My Spice Sage Banner!

Faux Pumpkin Butter
2 lbs of sweet apples (measurement before coring and peeling - I used gala apples)
2 1/2 T. pumpkin powder
1/2 cup sugar 

1 t. pumpkin pie spice (also purchased from myspicesage.com)
1 T. bottled lemon juice

Peel and core your apples and then process in a blender till smooth. This is a short cut but you could cook the apples down in a crock pot or stainless steel pot. Once the apples are mashed and have reached a butter consistency (creamy) add the pumpkin powder, sugar, and pie spice. Stir in ingredients and cook for another 30 minutes. Taste the butter. If you think it needs more pumpkin flavor add another teaspoon, but it was really good after the 2 1/2 tablespoons.  The flavor in the back of my mouth had that great pumpkin pie richness. Add your lemon juice just to preserve the color and ladle into your sterlized jars. Remove air bubbles, fill to 1/4" headspace and wipe rims. Add hot lids/rings and process in the water bath for 10 minutes at a full rolling boil.

Additional ideas: you could add crystallized ginger or if you don't like the combination of the pumpkin pie spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg Ground, Ginger Ground and Cloves Ground.) You could use the specific spices you do like.