Pressure Canning Butternut Squash

Pressure Canning is a great way to preserve the summer harvest. My neighbor had oh say 30 butternut squash and she asked me if I wanted them or her husband was going to get rid of them. Well yes I will take all and return to her a few jars. 

That little chore turned out to be more then I could handle. With my arm's being disabled it is a bit more work than they can do. I did manage to get through a few jars.

I thought peeling them would be a breeze with all the great tips from the internet. NOT .







 One tip which turned out to make the butternut cry was to put them in the microwave for a few minutes thus soften them for the peel.

This did not work for me not to say it would not work for you! 

Ingredients

14 pounds large Butternut squash
Water
Spices
7 Quart Jars/lids/twists

Once I was able to get a few peeled I simply put them into a large stock pot and blanch for 2 minutes. NOTE do not overcook them you can not safely pressure can mushy squash or pumpkin! 

So next time I will skip the blanching chop and put them directly into the jar's with some liquid hot broth or water.

Then Pressure Can





So with that said fill you jars with the butternut cubes and liquid until there is one inch of headspace.


Fill your jars remove any air bubbles, wipe the rim clean and seal. Do not tighten your jars as tight as when you water bath. Just secure them on the jar.  The lid portion can crinkle leaving an unsafe seal for storage. 





Wipe your jars clean and top with the lid and twist top. Taunt but not super tight. Pack the jars in the pressure canner so as to not touch we do not want any broken jar's.




I do so love preserving the bounty!

 

Once your jars are filled, wiped and placed into your pressure canner you can begin to process at 11 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes for quart jars.


Allow the pressure to come down naturally once the time is done. Remove jars from canner and place on a counter and let them cool until they are completely cool to the touch.

Once you jars have completely cooled remove the twist top wipe clean and label. We know never to store our jars with the twist top right ??????

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. 

Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.