This recipe may sway the taste buds of even those who loathe pumpkin – checked by personal experience.
Victoria DreyJust like many other types of varenye, aka Slavic-style jam, the pumpkin version is a true classic in Russian cuisine. It’s very popular in southern regions, such as Kuban, where the fruit season is quite long and the harvest is abundant and varied.
I usually consider pumpkin recipes a bit controversial since most people don’t eat pumpkin in any shape or form. But this dessert is very likely to please even the skeptics – something that has been proven by my family members who usually can’t stand pumpkin. But not in this case! The reason why is that after cooking pumpkin in sugar syrup it somehow starts to taste like a mix of pear and apple.
Here are some tips that might help you to achieve a really delicious and satisfying result.
In this recipe I add sea buckthorn – one of my favorite berries. It is also called “Siberian pineapple” because of its slightly tropical sourish taste that perfectly complements sweet pumpkin.
1. Peel your pumpkin and remove all the seeds; then chop the pumpkin flesh into small cubes.
2. Mix the sea buckthorn, squash the cubes and sugar in a pot and leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature – the mixture should give juice.
3. Add a cinnamon stick and start slowly heating the mixture.
4. Wait until it starts slightly boiling and simmer on a low-medium heat for around 45-60 minutes until the pumpkin cubes soften. You’ll notice how the mixture concentrates and all the ingredients become soft and tender.
5. Meanwhile, sterilize some glass jars for varenye. I prefer the easiest, the microwave: pour a couple tablespoons of water into a jar and microwave it for 2 minutes at maximum power. Then place the jar upside-down on a clean kitchen surface or paper towel to dry.
6. To sterilize the cups, simply boil them for 2 minutes in a pot with some water and leave to dry.
7. When everything is ready, remove the cinnamon stick and work the mass with a mixer to achieve the desired consistency. I prefer when it is confiture-like.
8. Now, transfer your varenye into sterilized jars. Seal them quite tightly, place upside down and leave to cool completely. Enjoy!
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