Pumpkin Pickles?

Ok - I know this is not a "baking" sort of thing, but I thought it sounded interesting and YES, I know Halloween has already passed.  BUT, I was at the farmer's market this weekend and a couple of the farmers still had several small "pie" pumpkins that didn't sell and they gave me several.  What's a person to do???  Of course, there is pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, I've seen pumpkin muffins, etc., etc., etc.

I just happened to have borrow a book from the library called Grandma's German Cookbook  by Birgit Hamm and Linn Schmidt.  Lo and behold, in the back of the book is a recipe . . .  Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Pickles TADA!! (I added the TADA!).  I knew right then and there what I was going to do with those pumpkins and a new adventure was born!!

You will probably need to run to the store to get the White Wine Vinegar and a Ginger Root (Walmart does carry Ginger Root - that is where I bought mine).

Ingredients

4 1/2 pound pumpkin (these two weighed about that - give or take a couple of ounces)
3 cups of white wine vinegar
2.2 lbs of sugar  - about 4 1/4 cups
10 cloves
1 piece of fresh ginger root

Cut the pumpkins in half.

Scrape out seeds with a spoon, chop the pumpkin into manageable slices, peel the skin and cut the pumpkin flesh into small cubes.  I removed any of the strings that remained after scooping out the seeds.

Place the cubes in a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of the white wine vinegar and 4 1/4 cups of water.  Let the pumpkin marinate, uncovered over night.  Stay tuned . . . the adventure continues tomorrow!!

We're back!!  And the adventure continues . . .

The next day you will place a colander over a nice size pot and drain the pumpkin, reserving the vinegar/water mixture.

Peel the ginger root and chop it.

Add the ginger root, the sugar, the remaining 1 cup of vinegar, cloves and sugar to the vinegar/water mixture.  Bring to a boil and add the pumpkin in batches.  Boil the pumpkin for 5 minutes.

Remove with slotted spoon and fill sterilized canning jars.

Once you have all the jars filled with pumpkin, ladle enough hot cooking liquid into each jar so that the pumpkin is completely covered.  Seal the jars with lids and rings.  Process in a water bath canner for 5 minutes.

Makes 8 8 ounces jars.  Will keep for 6 months.

NOTES:  If I make these again (which I probably will), I think I will tie the spices (cloves and ginger) in a piece of cheesecloth instead of letting them float freeform through the syrup.  I did taste one of the "pickles."  It sort of reminded me of a watermelon rind pickle if you have ever had one.  The picture above doesn't do the pickle justice - it looks a lot prettier.  These might make a really nice Christmas gift!