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Image of pumpkins of various sizes and colors on a wood floor.

Preserving Pumpkin Puree

It’s June and, before preserving season is in full swing with produce coming in from the garden, it’s time to take care of any pumpkins and winter squash left over from last year’s harvest! The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend canning pumpkin puree because of potential density issues, so how else can we preserve pumpkin? By dehydrating and freezing it!

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Dehydrating Pumpkin Puree

Dehydrating pumpkin puree is my favorite way to preserve it because I use it to make my Pumpkin Bars In a Jar and because it rehydrates just like canned puree! It’s also a great way to save your freezer space for other things.

All you need to dehydrate pumpkin puree is an oven, an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor), a dehydrator, and a food processor! I use a 6-tray Cosori dehydrator and absolutely love it!

Here’s a quick run-through of the dehydrating process! First, bake the pumpkin until cooked through. Then, puree the pumpkin with a blender or immersion blender and cook down until you reach your desired consistency. Then, spread on fruit leather sheets and dehydrate at 125 degrees Fahrenheit in a dehydrator for 10-12 hours. To tell if the pumpkin is properly dehydrated, bend a corner of the pumpkin sheet. If it breaks, it’s finished. If it does not break, continue dehydrating until it is completely dehydrated. Using a food processor, process the pumpkin until it is a powder or very small pieces. Store in a mason jar.

Freezing Pumpkin Puree

This is the fastest and easiest way to preserve pumpkin puree. All you need to freeze puree is an oven, an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor), and a freezer!

I also recommend these stands that hold reusable or disposable freezer bags open so you can fill them more easily.

Rehydrating Pumpkin Puree

To rehydrate pumpkin puree, the water-to-pumpkin ratio is 4:1. So, if you want about one cup of pumpkin puree, you would combine 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree powder. You can add more water if you want a thinner consistency or less water if you want a thicker consistency.

Pureeing Pumpkin Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. While oven is preheating, cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds.
  3. Cut pumpkin into pieces that will fit on your baking tray(s).
  4. Put pumpkin onto trays with skin-side up and put trays into oven.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool until it is cool enough to touch.
  7. If there is any water in the baking trays, drain it off.
  8. Remove skin from pumpkin. It should peel off, but, if it doesn’t, you can use a spoon or a knife to separate the skin from the pumpkin flesh.
  9. Add baked and peeled pumpkin to a large bowl or stock pot.
  10. Using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, blend pumpkin until it is the consistency of pumpkin puree.
  11. If you would like the pumpkin puree to be thicker, cook it over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches your desired consistency.

Dehydrating Pumpkin Puree Instructions

  1. Fill fruit leather trays that fit your dehydrator with pumpkin puree.
  2. Make sure the pumpkin puree is spread evenly on the trays.
  3. Dehydrate at 125 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 hours.
  4. After 10-12 hours, check the pumpkin puree for dryness.
  5. If the dehydrated puree doesn’t snap when it is broken, put the trays back in and continue dehydrating at 125 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-hour periods until completely dehydrated.

    6. Powdering Pumpkin Puree Instructions

  6. Once the puree is completely dehydrated, break it into smaller pieces that will fit in your food processor.
  7. Process until the puree turns into a powder or smaller pieces.
  8. Store puree in a mason jar, turning every day for 5-7 days to ensure there are no clumps of pumpkin puree.
  9. If your puree is clumping, it’s a sign that the pumpkin puree might not have dehydrated completely. Spread the puree pieces on a dehydrating tray and dehydrate again until completely dehydrated.

    10. Rehydrating Pumpkin Puree Powder Instructions

  10. In a 4:1 ratio, combine warm water and pumpkin puree powder. For example, if you want to rehydrate 1 cup of pumpkin puree, add 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup pumpkin puree powder.
  11. Use as you would use pumpkin puree.

Freezing Pumpkin Puree Instructions

  1. Label reusable or disposable freezer bags with the name of what you’re freezing and the date you’re freezing it.
  2. Put the desired amount of pumpkin puree into reusable or disposable freezer bags.
  3. Flatten out, ensuring as much air as possible is pushed out of the freezer bag.
  4. Freeze until ready to use.
Image of strawberries and a woman taking jars out of a large pot. Text says "Sugar Free Strawberry Jam in the Ball FreshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker."

No Sugar Added Strawberry Jam

No sugar added strawberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker! I love my J&J Maker, but I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. The first recipe I tried is my husband’s personal favorite–no sugar added blueberry jam! It’s a Bernardin recipe and you can find my post about it here. Keep reading to learn how to make this strawberry jam in the Jam & Jelly Maker!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?

The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!

Supplies to Make Strawberry Jam

If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!

I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

Will Other Berries Work in this Recipe?

Yes! According to the Bernardin website, the strawberries in this recipe can be replaced with raspberries, blueberries, sour cherries, gooseberries, or blackberries!

Recipe Video

How to Make No Sugar Added Strawberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. First, mash 4 cups of rinsed strawberries.
  2. Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
  3. Sprinkle pectin on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread strawberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
  4. Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
  5. After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener or butter, add it now, pouring the sweetener evenly over the top of the mixture. Put lid on.
  6. For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
  7. The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    8. Canning Directions

  8. Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  9. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
  10. Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
  11. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  12. Put in water bath canner.
  13. Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
  14. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  15. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  16. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  17. Wash jars and store without bands on.
Image of cinnamon sweet rolls in a casserole dish.

Sourdough Sweet Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour

If you’re new to milling your own flour, this is a great recipe to start with! It uses fresh milled flour along with some all purpose flour to help with the transition!

Image of sweet rolls in a pie dish covered with icing.
Image of cinnamon sweet rolls in a casserole dish.

Toppings

A traditional filling is a cinnamon filling, but my family loves when I use jams, jellies, and marmalades in these sourdough sweet rolls in place of the traditional cinnamon! The family favorite is an orange marmalade filling. If you haven’t tried my orange marmalade recipe yet, you must! It is my family’s go-to!

Recipe Video

Image of garlic plant with a garlic scape.

Garlic Scapes Recipe – Compound Butter

May through June is garlic scape harvest season, and I’m sharing my absolute favorite garlic scapes recipe! This compound butter is rich and creamy with the perfect amount of garlicky flavor!

What Are Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the flowering part of a hardneck garlic plant. If you don’t grow garlic, you may be able to find them at farmer’s markets in May and June.

Garlic scapes are lightly flavored, but still taste very similar to garlic! They can be used in place of garlic for pickier eaters or those who just don’t love the spice that comes with traditional garlic.

If you can’t find garlic scapes, you can replace the scapes with green or bunching onions instead! It will still make a delicious compound butter that you’ll want to put on potatoes, steaks, and more!

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How To Use This Garlic Scapes Recipe

Garlic scape compound butter is delicious on anything butter and garlic would be good on. My favorite way to eat it is on a loaded baked potato, but it’s also delicious when used to make garlic bread and to baste steak with.

Equipment

While I do recommend using a standing mixer and food processor for this recipe, you can hand mix and chop if you don’t have that equipment.

However, I do suggest having some molds to shape your butter–I used ice cube trays similar to these! They have a silicone bottom, which makes for super easy removal. If you don’t want to purchase molds, you can simply use plastic wrap or parchment paper to form a log of butter instead.

If you’re looking for the butter molds that are the size of a stick of butter and have lines for 1 tablespoon measurements, you can find them here.

I store my butter in the freezer in reusable, resealable freezer bags. These are my favorite!

Recipe Video

Image of chocolate chip muffins in muffin tin.

Einkorn Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

These einkorn sourdough chocolate chip muffins are easy to make and delicious too! I use sourdough discard for these muffins, but, if you have active starter, that’s fine to use too!

What Is Einkorn?

If you’re new to einkorn, einkorn is a type of wheat. It has a simple genetic structure and has never been hybridized, which makes it easier to digest. It contains more antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than modern wheat, especially if it’s purchased in it’s whole grain form and not all purpose, which has had the bran removed.

Taste-wise, it is nutty and warm, but it’s hardly noticeable in these einkorn sourdough muffins. Texture-wise, einkorn baked goods tend to be denser than goods made with modern wheat, but these muffins are light and fluffy! If you’re baking for picky eaters, this is the recipe to try!

Recipe Video

Image of 3 jars on a black and white gingham towel. The jars are filled with raspberry jam.

No Sugar Added Raspberry Jam

No sugar added raspberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker (J&J Maker for short)! I LOVE my J&J Maker! But I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. The first recipe I tried is my husband’s personal favorite–no sugar added blueberry jam! It’s a Bernardin recipe and you can find my post about it here. Keep reading to learn how to make this raspberry jam in the Jam & Jelly Maker!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?

The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!

Supplies to Make Raspberry Jam

If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!

I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

Will Other Berries Work in this Recipe?

Yes! According to the Bernardin website, the raspberries in this recipe can be replaced with strawberries, blueberries, sour cherries, gooseberries, or blackberries!

Recipe Video

How to Make No Sugar Added Raspberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. First, mash 4 cups of rinsed raspberries.
  2. Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
  3. Sprinkle pectin on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread raspberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
  4. Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
  5. After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener or butter, add it now, pouring the sweetener evenly over the top of the mixture. Put lid on.
  6. For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
  7. The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    8. Canning Directions

  8. Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  9. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
  10. Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
  11. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  12. Put in water bath canner.
  13. Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
  14. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  15. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  16. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  17. Wash jars and store without bands on.
Image of small bowl with a cabbage and carrot mixture. Chopsticks are laying across the bowl.

Egg Roll in a Bowl in the Instant Pot

This egg roll in a bowl comes together super quickly! If served by itself, it’s low carb, but it’s also delicious served over rice! Like most of my recipes, it is customizable! You can add your favorite vegetables and change up your protein by either using other types of ground meat or tofu for a vegan option.

Egg Roll in a Bowl Seasonings

I recommend using white pepper and nanami togarashi in this dish. Nanami togarashi is a Japanese spice seasoning that features 7 spices, including red chili pepper!

If you can’t find white pepper or nanami togarashi in your area, you can either order them online or replace them with black pepper and red chili flakes.

Recipe Video

Image of cooked scrambled egg sitting in lunch meat.

Breakfast Egg Cups

These breakfast egg cups are delicious! They’re low carb, high protein, and a perfect grab-and-go treat for those busy mornings! Like most of my recipes, this recipe is customizable to dietary needs and restrictions.

Customizing Breakfast Egg Cups

If you’re avoiding cured meats, go with an uncured lunch meat and uncured bacon or leave the bacon out altogether! Applegate makes delicious, uncured lunch meats.

You can also use whatever kind of lunch meat is your favorite–ham, turkey, chicken, etc. The possibilities are endless!

If you’re avoiding pork, omit the bacon. If you’re avoiding dairy, omit the cheese. These breakfast egg cups cans fit your needs!

Recipe Video

Image of three jars filled with kiwi preserves.

How To Can Kiwi Fruit Preserves

These kiwi fruit preserves are easy to make and delicious too! The kiwi flavor combines nicely with the sweet, acidity of pineapple and lime juice. It’s delicious on sorbet, toast, or made into a vinaigrette! You can find my super simple vinaigrette recipe here!

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product following my link, the price will not change, and I only recommend products that I use and love.

Supplies to Make Kiwi Fruit Preserves

If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!

I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

Recipe Video

How to Make Kiwi Fruit Preserves

Original Bernardin recipe can be find here.

Instructions

  1. First, peel and thinly slice 4 kiwis.
  2. Combine 4 peeled and sliced kiwis, 3 cups of sugar, 3/4 cup of pineapple juice, and 1/4 cup lime juice in a large stock pot.
  3. Heat over high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
  4. Add in 1 packet of liquid pectin. I used Certo liquid pection.
  5. Bring back up to a boil.
  6. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
  7. Remove from heat.
  8. Store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    9. Canning Instructions

  9. Fill clean, warm jars with preserves, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  10. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more preserves, if needed.
  11. Clean jar rim off to ensure no preserves are on it.
  12. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  13. Put in water bath canner.
  14. Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone. About 3 half-pint jars.
  15. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  16. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  17. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  18. Wash jars and store without bands on.

More Posts For You

Coconut Curry Soup in the Instant Pot

This coconut curry soup is delicious and comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot! And that’s not even the best part–it’s fully customizable! So if you’re low carb, high protein, or just want a bowl of hearty curry soup, this recipe is perfect for you!

Customizing Coconut Curry Soup

I try my best not to waste food, which is why I love recipes like this! If you have half a head of cauliflower, throw it in! Carrots starting to lose their crisp? Toss those in! A bag of wilting spinach in your produce drawer? Add it to this recipe!

You should also check out how to make my soup mix freezer bags, which makes throwing this recipe together a breeze!

I added potatoes, cauliflower florets, corn, and green beans to my recipe, but, if you’re low carb, omit the potatoes and corn. You might add in some mushrooms or whatever you have on hand!

Do I Need an Instant Pot?

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t worry! You’ll follow the same recipe, but, instead of pressure cooking for 5 minutes, just simmer on the stovetop until your veggies are cooked through.

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Protein Options

I used tofu for a quick meal that didn’t require preparing an animal protein. However, pre-cooked cubed chicken or pork would be delicious in this coconut curry soup recipe!

Curry Powder for Coconut Curry Soup

Any curry powder you have on hand will work, but I highly recommend trying to get your hands on some S&B Curry Powder! It has a deep, rich flavor that steps any curry dish up a notch! It can typically be found at your local Asian Market or you can order it online here.

Recipe Video