Pumpkin, being a vegetable, is a low-acid food and therefore must be processed using a pressure canner - not a water bath canner. Pressure canners eliminate harmful bacteria and mold spores that can exist in low-acid foods. As long as you have a pressure canner, canning pumpkin is easy. You'll love using your homegrown canned pumpkin in homemade pies, breads, muffins, and other favorite pumpkin recipes.
You can use any type of pumpkin or winter squash for canning; however, pie pumpkins have the sweetest flesh. Pie pumpkins, which are generally small and round, might be available at a local pumpkin patch if you don't have a patch of your own (for next year's garden seek out pie pumpkin seeds, such as Sugar Pie Pumpkin seeds from Millington Seed Company). To can 7 quarts of pumpkin, you will need approximately 15-17 pounds of raw pumpkins.
Along with your pressure canner and pumpkins, you will need canning jars (quart size work best), along with 2-piece lids. Always use new, unused flat canning lids each time you process food.
