Homemade Pumpkin Butter Results ~ Sun Flower Seeds

My 5 pumpkins resulted in 9 pints of pumpkin butter.  After researching canning recipes, I decided to heat my lids, after sterilizing jars, and simply attach the lids.  I allowed them to cool, and then moved them to the refrigerator.  They will last up to 6 months this way.  

Canning is not recommended.  In fact, I plan to take the last of the pumpkins, and make pumpkin puree to freeze.  Then I can simply take it out to make pumpkin waffles, pumpkin bread, muffins, or pumpkin pie.  There are tons of pumpkin recipes to try it with.  

Having always purchased sunflower seeds from a store, my husband was actually "giddy" when I shared these with him.


"We grew those?" he squealed like a little kid getting candy (ha ha ha!)

I will have to start covering some of them with cheese cloth.  The birds are starting to get into them, and they are not all ready to harvest.

And once again, I am shocked at the fresh taste these little guys had.  So much better than what you buy in the stores.  Hubby wants a whole field of these now - ha ha ha ha!

Homemade Pumpkin Butter Making

This was the first year for us to grow our own pie pumpkins (baking pumpkins).  Last year we grew the type the kids could carve out for fall.

The weird weather this year, caused our pumpkin production to be less than what we thought.  We even had less of our spaghetti squash this year.  It was simply too wet.

We were blessed to have enough baking pumpkins to make pumpkin butter and possible bake a few pies.

There is something so gratifying to grow the pumpkins and make pumpkin butter myself.  Nothing is wasted.  The pumpkin seeds are saved and roasted, and the the goats will get treated to some pumpkin skins (and a few seeds), and any remaining will be composted.  I have to double check with my daughter, to make sure the goats can eat it first.  It sure feels good to not throw something in my trash, or have to recycle plastic, metal or glass.