By: Elin Gottschalk Pickled pumpkin is a holiday tradition waiting to happen! Diced pumpkin is pickled overnight in vinegar with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Use 1 cup of water along with the vinegar for a milder flavor. The longer the pickled pumpkin is stored before serving, the better it tastes. Rescue all those poor Halloween pumpkins by doubling or tripling the recipe for pickled pumpkin throughout the holidays.


Candied Pumpkin in Syrup with Cinnamon, Pickled Pumpkin and Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the pickled pumpkin:
- 4 pounds peeled and diced pumpkin
- 5 cups white sugar
- 5 cups distilled white vinegar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 15 whole cloves
- Ingredients for the pickled beets:
- 10 -15 small beets
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup small whole onions, peeled
- 2 tsp pickling salt
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Ingredients for the candied pumpkin in syrup with cinnamon:
- 1 3/4 pounds sugar pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp spice clove
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 ½ cup granulated sugar
- cinnamon sticks
Instructions
Directions the pickled pumpkin:
Place the pumpkin in a large, deep bowl.
In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Boil 5 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the pumpkin in the bowl. Cover and set aside 8 hours, or overnight.
Strain the liquid into a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves, leaving a few bits for decoration. Place the pumpkin back into the liquid and return to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, or until pumpkin is transparent but crisp. Allow the mixture to cool. Transfer to sterile jars and refrigerate.
Directions for the pickled beets:
In a large pot of water simmer beets for 25 to 40 minutes or until they are tender. Drain, rinse beets, and remove skins. If your beets are very large, cut them into halves or quarters.
Combine vinegar, sugar, and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, remove jars from canner and divide onions and seeds equally among the jars. Add beets.
Pour boiling liquid over beets, seal, and process for 30 minutes for pint jars and 35 minutes for quart jars.
Directions for the candied pumpkin in syrup with cinnamon:
Soak pumpkin overnight water, (water should cover pumpkin).
The next day, remove the pumpkin from water
Bring water, granulated sugar, cinnamon stick, spice clove, and honey to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer pumpkin, covered, until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil the syrup until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes.


16 Comments
Chocolate Shavings
October 16, 2011 at 9:53 amI really love all these canned Fall treats! They would make a beautiful take-away gift for any dinner guests too!
The Three Little Piglets
October 16, 2011 at 6:28 pmThat book has been sitting on my wishlist since I first saw it. I'm always glad to see someone else use it…
Amy
October 16, 2011 at 7:36 pmWhat great ideas to give as autumn gifts! I am especially loving the candied pumpkin!
Sandra
October 17, 2011 at 3:40 amWhat a wonderful job you did here..I have to say that I love both, especially picked beets..Awesome photos too!!! Have a wonderful week ahead!
Anonymous
October 17, 2011 at 6:07 amWhat a beautiful recipe with beautiful colours!I've never even thought of sweet pickling pumpkin but it sounds so good and you make it sound so simple I think it just has to be done no!
FamilySpice
October 17, 2011 at 2:28 pmBeautiful! I love the candied pumpkin idea. I acquired too many pumpkins this year, so I need to do SOMETHING with them!
Grubarazzi
October 17, 2011 at 4:06 pmBeautiful jars of loveliness 🙂
Anonymous
October 18, 2011 at 9:50 amA visual treat really. Enjoyed going through each and every photograph.
Monica Shaw
October 18, 2011 at 3:16 pmAre the recipes as beautiful as the photos? They look like it – but how would you served a pickled pumpkin? It's so hard to imagine! I'm thinking with a feta cheese perhaps?
Anonymous
October 18, 2011 at 7:04 pmNo doubt the photographs are spot on, but I've never seen pickled pumpkin and the fall treats you've highlighted and shared are fabulous! Thank you for the inspiration.
Joanne
October 18, 2011 at 7:08 pmThe recipes look wonderful and the photos say it all.
Such an enjoyable post.
Yelena
October 18, 2011 at 9:52 pmHello Monica,
Pickled pumpkin, hmm.-)) It is the first time I have done that recipe. We have so much pumpkin this year, so I am trying as many different recipes as I can. You may serve this dish as pickling pickles, like a side dish for your dinner or lunch or spicy appetizer. I think this beautiful dish will be ready for Thanksgiving dinner. If you like you can change pickles ingredients, add more sugar or herbs of your taste even add some garlic. Preserves to me is the taste of home, taste of the old world-) Try pickling, it may be a very pleasant surprise for you.
Cucina49
October 21, 2011 at 8:05 pmYour preserves are gorgeous–such fabulous jewel tones!
Anonymous
October 25, 2011 at 1:11 amI could just stare at the pictures all day!
Eliotseats
October 25, 2011 at 2:29 amExcellent pics. I have never heard of candied canned pumpkin or pickled pumpkins. I love pumpkin though, so I am not ruling anything out. Great post.
Suzanne Weakland
July 29, 2017 at 8:01 pmDo you do a hot water bath for the candie pumpkin. And do you use the water that the pumpkin soaked in ?