Pumpkin compote with a citrus kick

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 3 kg pumpkin(s), e.g. Muscat de Provence
• 1 liter of water
• ½ liter orange juice (100% fruit)
• 150 ml vinegar, e.g. white wine vinegar
• 1 kg sugar
• 6 cloves
• 2 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 1 lemon(s), untreated
• 2 orange(s), untreated
• some rum, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

pickled pumpkin with a twist

Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and fibers, and cut the flesh into cubes approximately 1.5 x 1.5 cm in size. Weigh out 3 kg of this and place it in a sufficiently large pot. Wash the citrus fruits, cut them into slices approximately 0.5 cm thick, and add them to the pumpkin along with the other ingredients. Depending on your taste, you can replace the orange juice with pineapple juice and change the water to juice ratio to 1:1. Bring everything to a boil and simmer until the pumpkin is almost soft but still firm to the bite. For hard varieties, add the lemon and orange slices later, if necessary. Remove from the heat and remove the fruit pieces. Remove the cloves and cinnamon and ladle the mixture into prepared jars while still hot, along with the lemon and orange slices (you can eat them). Bring the liquid to a boil again and pour it over the fruit pieces while still boiling hot, until the jars are full. Immediately seal the jars with twist-off lids and let them cool upside down. The recipe comes from my neighbor, who uses a nearly 1:1 mixture of water and orange juice. Until now, I’ve been somewhat skeptical or even averse to pickled pumpkin (usually sweet and sour). This compote has delighted me. It’s wonderfully fruity, and the citrus aromas pair perfectly with the subtle clove and cinnamon flavor. I can’t say how long it will keep yet, but it should last at least a year.