Figs, grapes, quince, pomegranates, persimmons, hazelnuts, almonds or chestnuts are the fruits and nuts that make up the aromas and flavors of our pantries in autumn. If you live near the countryside, depending on the latitudes and climate, you can get a good handful of some of these fruits during a walk.
But if there is an autumn fruit par excellence, it is undoubtedly the pumpkin, whose harvest begins at the end of October and November. They take seven months to mature after being born from very subtle and delicate flowers in yellow and orange tones, edible by the way. If you luckily have a pumpkin patch nearby, be sure to try them; or if you have contact with a local producer, ask them to collect some for you. Of course, they only last 24 hours after collection. They are very delicious in salads.
In Spain we grow five types of pumpkin: the Dulce de Horno – which can currently be found roasted in portions in many pastries and confectioneries in the Spanish Levant and which are a real delicacy -, the green one from Spain, from the turban (Cucurbita maxima)Angel Hair and the Totanera Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)round and with rough skin with greenish tones.
Benefits of Pumpkin
Eating seasonally is always a good decision: foods from each season will help us maintain the energy of each climate; in addition to promoting savings, local commerce and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Pumpkins are one of the fruits that have the most properties and nutritional benefits in autumn:
- They are rich in carotenoids, precursors of vitamin A, in beta-carotenes, powerful antioxidants, very beneficial for the balance of the immune system and for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- They concentrate other vitamins such as vitamin C. With 100 grams of pumpkin we cover 20% of the recommended daily intake of this vitamin.
- It is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or potassium, but low in sodium, so it is recommended for people with hypertension.
- Pumpkin also has a high fiber content.
Cabbage – with its very fleshy pulp and sweet taste – is a fairly versatile fruit that can be included in countless fall recipes. It is exquisite in creams combined (or not) with other fruits and vegetables, as the protagonist of a sauce to accompany a pasta dish, as the main ingredient for example in a chickpea curry and, of course, simply roasted or as a basis. for sponge cakes, other desserts, including the typical angel hair, and homemade jams.
Pumpkin is an exquisite fruit to prepare a hearty jam that we can have available at any time for a special breakfast, a snack or for a treat at another time of the day, as a complement to an aperitif. It is very delicious, for example, with certain varieties of cheese, such as trim with yogurt or cake and even to accompany meat dishes or succulent fish burgers. And in addition to being very delicious, it is a very practical way to preserve part of a very large pumpkin and not throw away a single gram of this fruit.
How to make jam
We’re going to give you a foolproof homemade jam recipe. And while they can be made with any type of pumpkin, peanut pumpkins are the easiest to peel and cut. So if you don’t have a giant pumpkin at home that you need to use and you need to buy it, we recommend the peanut type.
For its preparation we will need 800 grams of pumpkin, 200 grams of sugar, a cinnamon stick and 20 ml of lemon juice. The preparation time will take no more than five minutes, although in total the cooking time will be between three quarters of an hour and an hour. With these quantities we will obtain around ten servings.
The first thing we have to do is the most fun task, peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut it into small cubes of as similar size as possible and clean it well. Once this step is completed, we will add it to a saucepan with the 200 grams of sugar, the lemon juice and the cinnamon stick. And we mix everything very well so that all the ingredients are integrated. It’s time to give it another touch of aroma and flavor and add, if you wish, a few cardamom seeds or a few pieces of ginger root.
We will let it cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. To know if it is ready, you can do it in two ways: either by checking if it has reached 105ºC, or by letting it cool a little in a container and making a hole in the middle with your fingers. If the hole remains open, it is already cooked, if it closes, it needs to be cooked.
Once we have verified that it is well cooked, we will remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds, ginger and other spices or seasonings that we added initially. And now we can crush the pumpkin. It can be completely crushed or leave a few pieces without going through the blender or food processor depending on the texture you want.
This is a basic pumpkin jam recipe, but there are many varieties and which one you choose will depend on your tastes and preferences at the moment, or what you have in your pantry. But it is also spectacular when combined with orange, mango, raisins, walnuts or pears.
