How to Can Pumpkin Bread

I told you that I canned pumpkin bread after getting tips and pointers from my friend Katharine Trauger. Now I am going to tell you how to do it! First of all this is what you need:

6 pint-sized WIDE MOUTH [where it is the same size the entire length of the jar] canning jars with flat lids and the rings that screw on. Don’t worry new canning people—you can get the whole shebang (jars, lids, and rings) in a set—at a hardware store (remember those) or a Costco.Make sure the jars, rings, and lids (aka flats) are clean and dry. Do NOT grease the inside of the jars (or any of the other supplies).

Follow the recipe below:

Pumpkin Bread

2/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 16 0z can pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour *
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
[do NOT add stuff like choc chips, nuts, raisins etc. I’ve been told you can’t can the bread if those things are in in].

* (if you are using self-rising flour, skip the baking soda, salt and baking powder).

Now:  Preheat oven to 350*

Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin, and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Now, spoon the batter into each jar. Fill less than half full. Guess what? Those bad boys have markings on the side. Make sure to stay more than a tiny bit below that halfway mark on each jar—because when the batter rises you want the baked stuff to end up below the top of the jar. When I used this recipe I had enough batter to fill more than 7 jars just under half full. As it turned out, I filled them a little too high. More on that in a minute.

Now, place the jars (without covers and without rings) on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Pop the pan in the oven. Set the timer for about 35 minutes, knowing that it may take 45 minutes for them to be done. When there is about 10 minutes left in your baking time, toss those lids (not the rings) into a saucepan of water and boil them. Hold them at a simmer.

Keep checking the jars with toothpicks. When toothpick comes out clean, remove 1 jar and 1 jar only from oven (use oven mitt). Place on hotpad or thick towel. Wipe off the perimeter of the rim of the jar then carefully remove 1 lid from boiling water with fork or tongs. dry it and place it on jar. If the pumpkin bread rose above jar top, cut part of it off (the pumpkin bread that is) before wiping the rim and putting the lid on. Once lid is on, put screw ring on (hold jar with oven mitt). set aside. Immediately repeat process with each jar (toothpick check each jar of pumpkin bread), removing just one at a time, Let jars cool. The jars should seal by the time you put get the pan in your dishwater if not sooner. Usually they seal by the time you finish the very next jar!

Now, put the date on the lids and remember to use within about 4 months.

That is it. Not much more complicated than making muffins, really. Give it a try—you CAN do this! [Get it? Can do this? yeh, i know..punny].

To remove the bread:

After removing the ring and lid, try turning jar upside down. It typically will just come right out. If it doesn’t, put a knife in at the edge of the jar and run it around the perimeter. It should come right out. Yummy yummmy pumpkin bread :-). See photos on this post: https://believeanyway.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/canned-pumpkin-bread-photos-and-follow-up/