Candied pumpkin is not only a delicious treat, but also a traditional Halloween appetizer. There are many recipes for this dessert, but usually the vegetable is prepared in syrup with cinnamon sticks for a more intense taste. You can also make delicacies with other spices, such as cloves or anise stars, as well as in combination with fruits (oranges or lemons).
How to make candied pumpkin at home? To do this, cut the vegetable into slices and pierce them in several places so that the syrup gets inside the pulp. You can use pumpkin with or without seeds. Sometimes candied fruit is served fresh with syrup, sometimes in a dry form.
According to some versions, earlier cooks immersed pieces of pumpkin in a large container with a solution of water and calcium hydroxide. This makes the flesh of the vegetable harder. After all, pumpkin usually becomes soft during cooking. Currently, this is not practiced, as there are convenient ways to quickly dry candied pieces. How to make candied pumpkin on your own?
Orange version
Since the pumpkin does not have its own pronounced smell, it is customary to add various spices to it. One of the options is citrus fruits, which give the dessert not only aroma, but also a pleasant acidity. In addition, zucchini, which also have a neutral taste and smell, can be prepared in a similar way. How to make candied pumpkin and zucchini with orange? To do this, you will need:
- 1 medium pumpkin (about 2-2.5 kg);
- 550 g of brown sugar;
- 3 cinnamon sticks (whole or cut in half);
- 1 orange, sliced (peeled);
- 4 glasses of water.
How to do it?
Cut the pumpkin into pieces about 3 cm in size. Remove the seeds and peel. If you like seeds, you can prepare them separately with syrup. Place sugar, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices in a large, thick-bottomed pan.
Add four glasses of water and reduce heat to medium until the mixture begins to boil. Stir to completely dissolve the sugar. Once the syrup has been prepared, put slices of pumpkin in it. If you notice that the vegetables are not completely covered with syrup, do not worry. Pumpkin will release some juice during cooking.
Reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer. Cook the pumpkin for 20-30 minutes. It will be ready when the consistency of the pulp becomes tender, and it absorbs part of the syrup.
Once you are convinced of this, remove the pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a deep bowl. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent cooling while the syrup continues to cook.
Bring the contents of the pan to a boil again, increasing the heat. Continue cooking until the syrup is thick and dense. Put the pieces of pumpkin back into the pan and evenly distribute the syrup over them.
You can serve this dessert immediately hot. The next day, the taste of candied pumpkin will improve. Therefore, it is worth cooking it in advance and storing it in the refrigerator. If you want to make candied fruit, you need to dry the cooked slices. This can be done both in the dehydrator and in the oven. Methods for drying candied fruits are indicated below.
Classic Cinnamon
When they talk about how to make candied pumpkin, it is supposed to be cooked in sugar syrup with cinnamon. This recipe is classic and easiest. For him you will need:
- 1 pumpkin for about 2-2.5 kg;
- 1 glass of water;
- 500 g of sugar, preferably brown;
- 1 stick of cinnamon;
- 1/4 tsp salt.
How to make candied pumpkin with cinnamon?
Carefully cut the pumpkin in half vertically. Remove the seeds and strands of fiber with a spoon. Cut the pulp into pieces 3-4 cm in size.
Prepare the syrup by heating a glass of water, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large saucepan over low heat. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally. This must be done until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the pumpkin slices to the syrup. Cover and continue cooking over low heat for 30-45 minutes, sometimes covering the upper pieces with syrup. Allow to cool slightly.
If you want to serve the hot treat, put the pieces in portions on the plates and pour the remaining syrup on them. If you want to make a workpiece, proceed to drying. This method is also suitable for those who are looking for how to make candied pumpkin in a slow cooker. The cooking process is no different from the above. You should make syrup in the multicooker bowl and then cook the pumpkin in the “cooking” mode until ready.
Turkish style option
Pumpkin can also be baked in its own juice with sugar. This wonderful light Turkish-style dessert is made with chopped walnuts. You can also add a few cloves or cinnamon sticks to the juice before baking and drying if you want to add more pleasant aromas. How to make candied pumpkin according to this recipe? For him you will need:
- 1 kg of pumpkin pulp, peeled, chopped and cut into pieces or rectangular blocks;
- 250 g or 1 ½ cup sugar;
- 225 g or 1 cup chopped walnuts.
How to do it?
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Spread the bottom of a large baking dish with cooked pieces of pumpkin and sprinkle with sugar evenly. Then spread out the second layer with the rest of the pumpkin and evenly distribute the remaining sugar on top. Cover the pan and leave overnight.
The next day, you will notice that the pumpkin has released all its juices, and all the pieces are almost covered with it. The released liquid is all that is needed to bake a vegetable. You do not need to add excess water.
How to make candied fruit in the oven from pumpkin? Bake pieces of pulp in your own juice uncovered. Every 20 minutes, pour the pumpkin slices with the resulting syrup so that they are well saturated. After 45 minutes of cooking, check the sweetness of the dish. If you think that sugar is not enough, you can sprinkle a few more tablespoons. Bake the pumpkin for about 1 hour until all of the syrup is absorbed. All pieces at this stage should be carefully prepared and candied.
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and let cool. You can serve candied pumpkin immediately or start drying in the oven at a minimum temperature (50-60 degrees) for 2-3 hours, taking breaks to cool down every hour.
How to make candied pumpkin in a dryer?
Candied pumpkin is a sweet treat, relevant from the harvest to the Christmas season. When dried, these candied fruits can serve as an excellent sweet gift. To do this, you will need:
- 450 g of sugar plus 3 tbsp. l additionally;
- 2 l and 65 ml of water;
- 450 g pumpkin, peeled and diced;
- colored sugar crystals (optional).
Cooking process
Pour water into the pan and add sugar. Heat gradually, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar in water. Place the diced pumpkin in the syrup. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the slices of the vegetable from the syrup using a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Set aside. Continue to make syrup until they are half full. Pour this liquid onto a pumpkin and leave overnight.
Then drain the syrup and store in a separate bowl. Spread the pumpkin slices in one layer on the dehydrator tray. Lubricate the top with syrup and turn on the dryer 45 degrees. Continue lubricating with syrup every hour until it runs out. The drying process will take 24-48 hours.
Take extra sugar (or use colored crystals) and put it in a small bowl. Throw dried pieces of pumpkin into it to cover them completely. In this form, candied fruit can be packed in boxes or containers for further storage.