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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Can it.  You can can pumpkin (pressure can) but you can't make puree or 
butter.  You need to cube it and can in water or, for a savory dish later, 
chicken broth.

The universities that work with the Dept of Ag to check safety issues of 
things we can have done several tests at different universities and it seems 
that pumpkin doesn't heat evenly when it is pureed or made into pumpkin 
butter.

O.K.,  I know, I know, people have done it forever and no one has died . . . 
that you know of personally.  People have died and that is why the testing 
was done.  To find out why.

So, puree and pumpkin butter are Russian roulette.  Cubed and PC'd is safe.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lisa Kae Van Meter Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>
> So... let's bring it back little by little.
>
> The last several mornings we've been enjoying watching our chickens eat
> pumpkins that
> we grew for decoration. Had them on our porch and the chickens took a
> liking to them
> almost right away so we moved them into the yard/field where they turned
> into 'food.'
>
> We harvested several long pie pumpkins--a new variety to me--and they're
> nearly ripe and
> ready to put up. Have read that most people do not put up pumpkin in
> canning jars
> (not even to pressure can) but our freezer space is fairly limited (even 
> if
> I stack flat in
> pint or quart bags). I don't want to waste the pumpkins if I decide to
> pressure can and then
> the seal fails. We love pumpkin--made a great pumpkin soup w/ coconut 
> milk,
> onions & black
> beans several days ago--but also pumpkin bread, muffins & pancakes.
>
> How do you guys keep/store pumpkins or what's been your experience? 
> Thanks!