Pumpkin Butter

'Ello my freshly canned and spicy pumpkin butta! 

If ever there was a food that captured Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time, it's homemade spiced pumpkin butter. And before you question me on 'what the crap you are supposed to DO with pumpkin Nutella', let me correct your erroneous thought. Bread, cheesecake, pie, spread, muffins, marinade, soup, smoothies... only a fraction of the possibilities. (Click here for recipes!) The reason I'm SO excited about this, is because pumpkin butter is perhaps the most intense and most delicious thing I've ever made. The spices, and the lemon/orange zest bring out such flavor you would never find in a normal pumpkin sauce.

Zest of 1/2 orange and 1/2 lemon in wide strips

1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin puree plus 1/2 c water

2 cup brown sugar OR 1 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup mild honey or light corn syrup

3 TBSP fresh orange juice (strained)

3 TBSP fresh lemon juice (strained)

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of cloves

1/2 pecans or walnuts, VERY finely chopped

Simmer zest in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Drain and mince very finely, but only use 1 TBSP. Discard the rest. Combine zest in saucepan with all other ingredients except nuts. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring often until thick. (About 15 minutes). Stir in nuts. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Ladle into jars and *pressure-can, or let cool and use in recipe.

*Note: Thanks to my mom for pointing this out... If you want to can your pumpkin butter, you MUST pressure-can it (vs. give it a boiling bath) or you'll die a horrible and gruesome death by that ole' killer: botchulism. Thanks mom.