Pumpkin with Vanilla preserve

Mrs Mace is a Stasher......to the extent that I like to have a good store cupboard, with varieties of ingredients, and am prepared to try new foods, cooking techniques etc...

This year with the wonderful weather, and starting to appreciate the best sources for fruit and vegetables locally, acquired three wonderful pumpkins.  As well as the Marina di Chioggia Pumpkin, I had two smaller Crown Princes.

Early December, I decided to use up the last of the pumpkin, as it had just started to show signs of aging, which was a small soft spot the size of the thumb print.  It was baking time, with breads and cakes using up the pumpkins, as well as making my pumpkin panettone ready for Christmas Breakfast.

Since there was so much pumpkin, some was made up into a conserve from Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber, page 263: Pumpkin with Vanilla.

The hardest part was cutting up the firm flesh into julienne strips by hand....

Here are the julienne match sticks of pumpkin are having been infused with the sugar and vanilla, orange and lemon juice overnight.

I made half the quantity of the recipe, and although the taste is good, I would stick at this amount simply because cutting up the julienne strips took so long.  Maybe a coarsely grated version would be worth trying next time.  I also make the mistake of boiling it a little too long.  Maybe there was not as much water in the pumpkin as usual.

However I did use some of the preserve to top some yeasted pumpkin buns, and this worked very well.  I may yet blend a pot with some of the apple jelly to make a more 'fluid' preserve.  I think this one is good to incorporate or add as a topping to desserts and gateau.  It would be also very good mixed with pistachio nuts, in a similar way to the Apricot and Pistachio Conserve.

Several weeks later, the preserve has matured and even more of the vanilla taste has permeated the pumpkin.  As I open each of the remaining jar, I have reheated and mixed in some of the apple jelly.  A really delicious topper for my nightly sheep milk yogurt.