This year seemed to be a particularly good year for growing pumpkins on the Island.  Everywhere I looked I saw fields, bins, and wagons full of the bright orange pumpkins which are members of the gourd family.

Funny how we can’t wait to display them on our doorsteps and in fall displays but, once the end of November arrives, we don’t want to see pumpkins hanging around as thoughts turn to Christmas decorating.

So, wondering what to do with those pumpkins instead of throwing them into the compost bin?  Why not make a batch of old-fashioned pumpkin jam.  This isn’t an altogether common jam you are likely to find on many supermarket shelves.  Yet, it is a very tasty, economical, and versatile jam that only takes four ingredients — pumpkin, sugar, crushed pineapple, and jello.  This is a jam that my grandmother used to make every fall for her brother yet I don’t recall it ever being on her own pantry shelves and I’m not sure why.

The jam has a wonderful bright orange-yellow color.  In fact, I think it is more like a marmalade than a jam.  Regardless, it is very tasty on toast, biscuits, as a filling for cookies, and as a dollop on warm vanilla custard.

To make the jam, select a pumpkin that is more oblong than round in shape.  I visited my local vegetable stand and they told me these are “jamming” pumpkins.

Cut the pumpkin open and remove and discard the seeds and pulp.

Cut the pumpkin flesh into finely diced pieces and place in pot.

Add the sugar to the diced pumpkin and let the mixture sit overnight.  The sugar will draw the juice out of the pumpkin.

In the morning, drain and reserve the juice from the pumpkin.

Boil the juice for 20 minutes over medium heat to form a syrup.

Add the drained pumpkin to the hot syrup.

Over medium heat, cook the pumpkin until it starts to become transparent, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Add the can of crushed pineapple and its juice to the jam.

Add the jello to the jam.

Bring jam to a boil over medium heat.

 Meanwhile, sterilize the jars.

Fill the sterilized jars.

 Place warmed lids on the hot jam bottles to seal and fingertip-tighten the rims to the bottles.

Store this jam in the refrigerator for approximately 1 month and enjoy it fresh as a treat when pumpkins are in season.

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