How do you preserve a pumpkin?

To preserve a pumpkin, slice it into strips, remove the rind, cube and boil the flesh, pack it into jars, and process the jars in a pressure canner. This five-hour process requires a knife, a pot, water, a stove, a ladle, a towel, canning jars and a pressure canner.

1. Prepare the pumpkin

   Cut off the top of the pumpkin, remove the seeds and pulp, and cut the flesh into strips. Chop off the rind, and cut the strips into 1-inch cubes.

2. Heat the pumpkin

   Put the cubed pumpkin in a stock pot full of water. Heat the water until it boils, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the pumpkin for two minutes, then turn off the stove. Preheat the pressure canner.

3. Fill the jars

   Ladle the pumpkin cubes into hot canning jars, and fill them with the cooking water. Leave 1 inch of head space at the top of each jar. Wipe the jar rims with a towel, and attach the lids.

4. Process the jars

   Set the jars in the preheated pressure canner, and process them for 90 minutes. Turn off the canner, and give the jars several hours to return room temperature. When they are cool enough to handle, set them on a dry shelf out of direct sunlight.