At Intelligent Gourmet, we take flavors you love and make them better for you. What’s better in Fall than spreading sweet rich pumpkin butter over your whole-grain toast in the morning? Not much! Well, maybe raiding your kid’s Halloween haul, but we haven’t come up with a healthy version for that (yet). Pumpkin is full of nutrients that improve your skin, your mood, and your health (including helping to prevent prostate cancer and kidney stones). When combined with ginger (anti-inflammatory), cinnamon (reduces bad cholesterol), and cardamom (anti-oxidant), this is a power packed treat. Your kids might even trade their candy for it.
Pumpkin Butter
lifestyle recipe by Intelligent Gourmet
Yield: 28 Servings
Serving Size: 2 Tbsp.
Ingredients:
• 3 1/2 cups of fresh pumpkin cut in small pieces
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2-1.5 teaspoons ground ginger (depending on your liking)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Note: You can adjust the sugar and seasonings to your own taste of course.
Preparation:
1. Boil or Bake raw pumpkin until soft, drain well and measure out the 3.5 cups, or use 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan except lemon juice, mix well.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover loosely with lid ajar (slightly offset). Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, in the same manner for an additional 40 minutes, stirring frequently. This mixture may bubble and splatter if not careful.
4. Remove from heat and let it sit for 15 minutes before removing lid.
5. Adjust sucanat or sugar to taste if necessary, then stir in lemon juice.
6. Cool completely, and put in an airtight container like a large mason jar. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
* Sucanat is a less-processed alternative to sugar with small amounts of nutrients in it as well. Essentially, it’s dehydrated sugar cane juice, and is an abbreviation for “sugar-cane-natural.” It has a stronger molasses flavor than refined white sugar because it retains the nutrients found in sugar cane juice, like iron, calcium, B6, and potassium.
Nutrition
Per serving: 35 calories; 2.5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 5.4 g carbohydrates; 5.9 g sugars
Nutrition Profile: DF, GF, NF, SF, V