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Middle Eastern spiced butternut squash pickles, or the pickle for when you want to slow things down

These Middle Eastern-flavoured, sweet, spiced butternut squash pickles will be at home on a cheese or charcuterie platter at any Thanksgiving, Sukkot, or fall dinner table. Feel free to substitute pumpkin for the squash. Based on recipes by Bernardin (https://www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=480) and Marisa McClellan (https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/in-a-pickle-pickled-sugar-pumpkin.html)

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • Makes 2 1-litre/quart jars:
  • 3 lb of butternut squash or pumpkin
  • 1 medium lemon
  • 3 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 TB cumin seeds
  • 1 TB coriander seeds
  • 2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary per jar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If canning these, prepare 2 1-litre sterilized jars in a hot water bath canning pot (bring jars and water to a boil, add 1 TB of vinegar, then process at a boil for 10 minutes to sterilize).
  2. Peel and cut squash into uniform cubes. Set aside.
  3. Thoroughly wash lemon. Remove peel with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to get any of the white pith. Supreme lemon (ensure that you get as much of the flesh and none of the pith). Add peel and lemon flesh into a large, heavy bottomed pot, and squeeze out any of the remaining juice into the pot as well.
  4. Add vinegar, water and sugar into pot, and bring contents to a boil.
  5. Tie all remaining spices except fresh thyme/ rosemary in a small cheesecloth pouch. When pickling solution is boiling, add butternut squash cubes and cheesecloth pouch to pot as well. Cover, return to a boil, then lower heat to medium and let cook for 20-30 minutes, until cubes can be pierced with a fork but are not mushy or falling apart.
  6. Into each hot, sterilized jars, add 2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Ladle squash cubes into jars, and cover in brine, leaving ½ inch of headspace from the top. Remove any air bubbles with a knife and wipe rim off with a hot, clean cloth to remove any residue. Cover with seal, using only two fingers to screw down the metal rim (if canning further; otherwise, just seal jars regularly and place in fridge).
  7. If continuing to can, process jars in a hot water bath canner for 20 minutes on a rolling boil. Remove carefully, and let rest on the counter, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Then remove metal rims and test to see if lids have sealed.
  8. Let pickles cure for 2 weeks before tasting.