Pumpkin Pie Pickles

Soft and velvety or with a bit of a crunch, it's up to the cook! Serve them as a side, or enjoy them on a charcuterie board as a lovely palate cleanser.

Ingredients (makes 12 pints)
12 cups peeled and cubed (1”) pie pumpkin*
4 cups vomFASS Apple Balsamic vinegar
1⅓ cups distilled water
3 cups organic sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
6 allspice berries
12 whole cloves
2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions
Peel your pumpkin or squash, scoop the seeds and stringy pulp from the insides, then cut into 1-inch dice. 
Make up a brine using Apple Balsamic vinegar, water, salt and seasonings. 
Bring the brine and pumpkin to a simmer and let the cubes cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes, until they're tender and translucent. 
Pack into pint- or quart-sized Mason jars (depending how quickly you go through pickles). 
Let the jars cool, then refrigerate them for short-term storage, or can them for long-term storage.
*If skin is thin enough, you can leave it on if you're cooking the pumpkin. A 2 lb. pumpkin yields about 1 lb of flesh and approximately 4 cups of cubes.
Alternatives for firmer Pumpkin Pie Pickle cubes:
Prepare the pumpkin and brine as explained and cook for only 10 minutes. Or, if using water bath process, pack the pumpkin directly into your sterilized jars (fill ¾ full) and pour the boiling-hot brine over top until the jars are filled to within a half-inch of the top. Seal the jars and can them for 10 minutes in water bath at a full boil, then remove them from the canner and let them cool to room temperature. The pickles will stay firmer and retain a bit of crunch without needing refrigeration. 

Notes: Whole spices are recommended as ground spices make the brine cloudy.
Please follow USDA Guidelines for water bath canning.

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