GOT PUNKINS?

[spec]

I grew Pumpkins this year like always...

Up in Rush city I always sold out or only had a few to use for myself...They always got chopped up and grilled or roasted in the oven.and dehydrated for soups later

WELL

 This year down in Stillwater I grew a boatload thinking I'd make some extra cash to build my food truck

DUMB ASS ME

You can't spit without hitting somebody selling Pumpkins...So I ended up with well over 1,000 pound sitting in the back of my truck...

I searched the old school cooking, srurvivalist, and off grid sites looking for ideas for all this Pumkin I had...Pumkins don't can well...and I'm short on freezer space...I don't eat sweets so 800# of Pumkin pie filling is out of the question

I happened to collaborate with a woman in alaska and came up with this

PUNKIN JERKY...or POCKET PUNKIN PIE

Here;s how it goes I have 2 kinds  Honey and Maple

1st grow too damn many pumpkins

DSCF0893.JPG

• spec
• Nov 23, 2012

 2nd Chop them into strips, peel and cut the guts out saving the seeds

dice them into 1/2" x 1-2" strips...

Blanch them in boiling water for 8-10 minutes

Scoop them out and let cool...IN A 55 GALLON DRUM

Just kidding

Now

Either run the chunks thru- your food processor...Takes forever and will burn out a lessor one...or...WAIT FOR IT

Whip out your Big ass Lem meat grinder and the 1/16" grinder plates you can't use for any thing else and start shoving the chunks in the hopper...Wheeeeeeeeee

5 gallon Bucket of blanched chunks in less than 5 minutes...A little more grainy than the processor but you can certainly dump it in the processor and creamy it up a bit

DSCF0886.JPG

• spec
• Nov 23, 2012

take 12 cups of Punkin goop

        1  1/2 cups of honey  or 1 1/4 cup of Maple syrup...Real stuff from the tree...not corn

        1-2 tsp of plain old Pumpkin pie spice

DSCF0889.JPG

• spec
• Nov 23, 2012

spread out on sheets of parchment paper Don't laugh...I;m not kidding 1/2" thick or you will have paper thin flakes, not Jerky

DSCF0892.JPG

• spec
• Nov 23, 2012

Dehydrate at 160...anything less could be dangerous because Pumpkin has no acids of it's own...Thts one of the reasons it doesn't can well

I can pull after 8 hours I don't flip it, But feel free to flip as soon as it skins over

DSCF0897.JPG

• spec
• Nov 23, 2012

 Walla...a tastee punkin pie you can put in your pocket

 

[kathrynn]

That looks good!  I made pumpkin butter...to give as Holiday Gifts...canned them (added some acids for good measure)...and the folks that have tasted it love it!
 

 

[smokinhusker]

What a great idea!!! Pumpkin butter is good stuff too! Do you have a recipe Kathryn? 

 

[spec]

It's scary simple

really good for you since it doesn't have any processed sugars or corn glutens in it

I actually fell into this one ...No tweeking needed...Just a little...1st batch I over spiced and fed it to the chickens

 

[spec]

Just in case any body thought I was kidding about the meat grinder part

DSCF0960.jpg

• spec
• Nov 27, 2012

But I did discover you can't mix it in the meat mixer...HADDA TRY

DSCF0961.JPG

• spec
• Nov 27, 2012

 

[daveomak]

Spec, morning..... One more healthy snack for the folks.....  I like the grinder idea..... Maybe the KA with the paddle would mix it....  Have to show Bride this recipe.....    Dave

 

[spec]

Mornin Dave,

I just pulled that batch out of the dehydrator, if you want to try it...

I'd be happy to send ya a sample...

Actually not only is it a tastee, healthy snack, one of my customers took a bunch deer hunting...Got it wet...and told me he just added warm water and stirred it up and it was just like the Pumpkin pudding his gramma used to make

 

[driedstick]

good idea

 

[old bones]

Morning Spec,   I just happen to log on and I find your Pumpkin Jerky.  This looks like something I’ll try if my wife doesn’t catch me. I can hear her saying it now…  ‘There goes the kitchen’      

It seems like every time I get on this site I find something to try.   I spent several hours looking at Dave’s idea on a MES 30 mods.  He also has some great ideas.     

Did your jerky turn hard or kind’a rubber like?   Do you think the coarseness of the pulp helped hold the mixture together a little better?      Would a grinder be best or one of them sauce type machines for a finer pulp?    See what you started.   I really need my own little man cave type kitchen.  

Good Idea!!   Thanks for posting.

John

 

[daveomak]

spec, we have several pounds of prepared Hubbard squash in the freezer left from that monster squash I posted on pie...  I was thinking I would use that.....   Gotta see what Bride says....  Thanks for the offer... appreciate it....   So, about the recipe above.... anything you would add to it ??  

 

[kathrynn]

Its easy....sorry to answer so late!  Just getting caught up due to Holiday time and moving my son in a Divorce situation.

Here goes:

I wash a pumpkin and cut it into quarters...taking the seeds out and gooey stuff.

Oil the skin just a bit and pop that pumpkin in the oven on a cookie sheet, about 350 degrees for about an hour. (You can tell it's done when you take a fork and pierce the skin easily)

I crock pot the rest on low over night.

Scrape the roasted pumpkin off the skin...should be able to do it easily

Stir it to get rid of some of the lumps

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 cup of plain sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Cloves

1 teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

(all the spices are ground like McCormick's)

Stir that....put the lid on the crock pot over night (at least 8 hours...mine is a bit slow)

Stir it every now and then to make sure it's not sticking or burning. ( Will crust over on the sides.)

Take the lid off the crock pot and turn it sideways a bit to let some of the moisture vent out.  Takes about 3 hours (unless yours is dryer)

Take a stick blender (I call it the boat motor) and puree the mixture until smooth.  I water bath canned 1/2 pint and pint jars of it.  It's dark and pretty.  Smells good too.

I even did some just pumpkin puree...using the same method...only putting some lemon juice in the pulp.  Canned it....made pumpkin bread out of one this past week and it was better then the Libby's version in that recipe.

 

[spec]

Hey John and Dave,

I'll do Johns Q first

Depending on how long you dehydrate...crispy...take it off the parchment paper and dehydrate a few more hours...I like mine leathery, it holds together in your pocket better and is like biting off a chunk of chicken Jerky

Punkin Goop...well ........................ I've done it both ways and the jerky really doesn't chage noticably...For you man cave kitchen.....I'd buy a small travel trailer, gut it and tile everything FLOOR TO CEILING. and put a big drain in the floor and a pressure washer mounted on the hitch....BWWWAAAA HA HAHA HA

Sounds like my food truck plans     HE HE HE

My wife gets pale when I take over her kitchen

Dave,

Honestly, depending on your tastes.

Sweeter just add more honey...if your making the honey...Altho- the Maple can get overpowering fast...I get the extra dark, it's almost like Molassas...You could certainly use a lighter Maple

Pumpkin pie spice...adjust up or down to your tastes...Just keep in mind it is seriously potent since the Squash/Punkin doesn't have much flavor on it's own

Maybe a extra touch of Cinnimon

I'd Maybe suggest a 6 cup batch to get the feel of it  That would cut the honey or maple to 3/4 cup and 1 to 1 1/2 tsp PPS, But you really do have to spread 3/8 to 1/2 thick

I've been toying with the idea of Different Flavors...But alittle scared of what I might come up with

Hope I was a help

If not entertaining

 

[daveomak]

I need to power wash Brides kitchen when I get done.... Not 'cause I think it needs it... Just 'cause someone else thinks it needs it..... 

Maybe I could put a floor drain in there... 

 ...

 

[old bones]

I need to power wash Brides kitchen when I get done.... Not 'cause I think it needs it... Just 'cause someone else thinks it needs it..... 

Maybe I could put a floor drain in there... 

 ...

I can relate to that..   Our old house has a slope to it.  Maybe I could just hose everything down to the one end and let it go down the drain. 

I kind’a like the idea of an old travel trailer as a ‘Man Cave’ but she’d want me to put a bunk in it and before long she’d be call’n me…. Her Little Meals on Wheels.  

I have a pile of Butternut Squash and several big Hubbard that I could play with when she’s gone for the day.    I thought of doing the Pumpkin in a jerky gun and making little Tootsie Rolls for the grand kids.    If nothing else, my dog would love them and me.

 

[spec]

Me too

'especially when I get a 38# Jerky order a week before the Thanksgiving rush

 

[humdinger]

Looks good. Thanks for the inspiration and recipes.

 

[papagrizz]

Outstanding Spec and very entertaining..

I love making jerky and now you sure opened up a can of ideas for me...sweet tater jerky, banana jerky, or maybe avacado jerky...

 

[spec]

 Thanks Papagrizz,

I thnk you should go for it!!!!! I manage to pawn off my mistakes on the wifes family...I'll bet you can too...HE HE HE...If they are too awefull...I am a huge hero to the chickens...They run up and surround my truck every time I show up, lookin for treats

Old bones,

I wait for Barb to leave...THEN I GO TO WORK TOO!!!!!!

She will be sooo tickled when I scrape up the funds to move my industial kitchen to a trailer..and consolidate my mess somewhere other than her kitchen

Hey...she just left...Back to work