Cut pumpkin into 2" by 2" pieces. Uncut strips are fine if not too thick and big. Put in crock pot, Add 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours or until tender to fork test.

Puree in Cuisinart or blender.

Freeze to keep for the holiday season or refrigerate up to 7 days if you want to use for pie, bread, cookies, etc.

I use cow pumpkins but you can use the small pie pumpkins if you prefer.

Note that I have not added any sugar, spices, vanilla, etc. because this is just preparing the pumpkin for later use.

Apple Butter

Ingredients

Granny Smith Apples

Winesap Apples

Rome Apples

Golden Delicious Apples

You will want to use about 6 pounds of apples. Use all of one kind or mix, as you choose.)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 cups white sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. vanilla

Use the apples of your choice or mix the peeled, cored apples sliced to fill your crock pot. Fill full but leave enough room so the lid will fit snugly.

Add vinegar and cook on high for 10 hours. Stir occasionally.

Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix ingredients into apples.

Place mixture into Cuisinart or blender to mix well.

Add mixed ingredients back to crock pot and cook on low for 4 or 5 hours.

Ladle the hot apple sauce in hot sterilized jars. Be sure to leave some head room. Clean top and neck of jar, and cover with just boiled hot lids. Place rings on jars. Be sure they are tight. The hot apple butter will cause the lid to seal.

NOTE:

You can use the same recipe for pumpkin butter using the hot crock pot recipe at the top as long as it is placed in the jars while still hot (hot-not warm.)

You can also add two tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice mix if you wish. Just reduce the amount of cinnamon by the same amount of pumpkin pie spice mix you are adding. Taste finished mixture and add more spice if you wish; however, be careful as the spices increase in flavor the longer they sit.