Pickled pumpkin: Elevating fall and winter dishes

Delicate, slightly creamy, and intensely flavoured with a handful of aromatic spices, pickled pumpkin has become a staple in my pantry. I reach for the jars in the fall and winter when the plates lack colour. It's an excellent snack, a side dish for dinner, and an addition to salads.

I must admit that pumpkin is not a frequent guest on my table. I usually lack the ideas and strength to tackle the larger specimens. Aside from the pumpkin cheesecake beloved in my home and the pumpkin spread with sun-dried tomatoes, for several years, I have been making pickled zucchini for jars for the winter. When I serve this delicacy for dinner, it disappears faster than the meat and potatoes.

Wondering which pumpkin to choose for pickling? The best choice is a dense pumpkin with firm flesh, fresh and young, which hasn't yet softened. So it’s worth opting for a Hokkaido pumpkin or a Muscat pumpkin, as well as the classic Gomez pumpkin (known as "Halloween pumpkin") and the giant Bambino.

Preparing pickled zucchini isn't significantly different from making similar preserves. The vegetable should be treated with a brine, and the filled jars should undergo pasteurization. The key is the selection of spices. Pumpkin is associated with a spicy flavour, so it's worth enriching the brine with the aroma of cloves and anise, adding a few allspice berries and bay leaves.

Because cloves (and other dried spices) can make the contents of the jar bitter, it's better to boil the brine with the spices, then strain it, and pour the properly flavoured brine over the pumpkin.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg of pumpkin,
• 1 cup of vinegar,
• 1 cup of sugar,
• 1 litre of water,
• 6 cloves,
• 2 anise stars,
• 4-5 allspice berries,
• 2-3 bay leaves.

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the pumpkin, then cut it into medium-sized cubes.
2. Place the pumpkin pieces in sterilized jars.
3. Boil the water with the spices, vinegar, and sugar. Strain the hot brine, then pour it over the pumpkin in the jars and seal the jars tightly.
4. Pasteurize the jars with the pumpkin for about 20 minutes from the moment the water boils. Remember, if you are pasteurizing jars with hot brine, start the pasteurization with warm water.