Pumpkin Magic

Pumpkins are the harbinger of Halloween and the promise of Thanksgiving deserts! Their appearance in market stalls and grocers harkens the siren’s call of warm spices, cozy sweaters, and bonfires. They come in blazing orange, bright yellow, white, green, and more subtle heirloom tones. But Cinderella’s magic coach, Jack-o-Lanterns, and pies aside, what do you do with the actual pumpkin?

Pumpkin Spice Liqueur-next level Latte

Before the advent of pumpkin spice lattes, the ubiquitous mashed pulp of a pumpkin was the most popular autumnal carrier for that popular warming spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. With our creamy and delicious vomFASS Pumpkin Spice Liqueur you can enjoy pumpkin spice throughout the evening, too. One taste and you’ll see how you can relish its sweet creaminess straight, on the rocks, over ice cream or enjoy a mellow weekend coffee. A dash in that pumpkin pie filling is mighty tasty too!

Seeds & Oil

Do you have fond memories of warm roasted pumpkin seeds, served after the carving of your Halloween pumpkin? The commercially available bags of pumpkin seeds with their tough and salty shells are pale facsimiles of those one-a-year treats. 

Fortunately, there is a naturally occurring pumpkin variant with hull-less seeds!  Originating in Austria, Styrian pumpkin seeds have high levels of fat-soluble antioxidants. These big, green seeds are the source of our super-delicious and nutritious vomFASS FassZination Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil. Enhance your soups with a drizzle. Enjoy its nutty, autumnal nuances on vanilla ice cream with a twist or two from a grinder of Violas' Salted Caramel. Toss it with vomFASS Apple Balsamic Star or our Paloma Riserva Sherry Vinegar for harvest-inspired salads. 

Mashed and Pickle

Pumpkin is most often served as a side dish or as a pie on a Thanksgiving table. Pickling pumpkins brings us to the delightful middle ground for pumpkin enchantment through the whole season! It’s also a great way to preserve the fall bounty throughout the winter.

Big pieces of pumpkin pickle work nicely with rich meats, as a replacement for other tangy condiments or even as a side dish in their own right.  Try firmer textured pumpkin chunks to serve as an appetizer or to brighten a charcuterie board. Or quick-pickle thinly sliced, uncooked pumpkin for a crunch and a completely different texture in sandwiches, wraps and many other dishes. 

Palate Pleasing

A good portion of the flavor in your pickled pumpkin will come from the vinegar you choose, so choose a good one! We recommend vomFASS Apple Balsamic or vomFASS Grape Balsamic for sweeter pickles, or vomFASS Grape Vinegar or Ginger-Grape Balsamic with Lemon for more savory options. Always look for recipes written for the kind of vinegar you are using, and a texture and spice mix that appeals to you.  

Pumpkins & Spices 

Major flavor components of these palate pleasing pickles come from your choice of pumpkin type…we suggest the sweet, small “pie” or “sugar” pumpkins. You can even use hard winter squashes in a pinch. Pickled pumpkins' styles run the gamut with their own distinct textures and flavor profiles. Some are simmered for a long time, giving the pickles a velvety soft texture. Popular spice boosts run the gamut from warming to downright hot!

Spice selections make a big impact on taste, ranging from…

Covering our Patch

The directions below are used by many pumpkin pickle recipes coming from Central and Eastern European traditions. You can treat them as a template, then try several combinations of added flavorings so you can decide how you like them best. For food safety reasons you should not dilute the vinegar to water ratio. The directions are for refrigerator pickles. They are suitable for water bath canning following the USDA Guidelines for water bath canning. 

Pumpkin Pie Pickles

Spicy Sugar Pumpkin Planks