Canning Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- Butternut squash (each large squash makes about 1 1/2-2 quarts of cubes)
- Canning salt (any non-iodized salt)
- Water
Equipment needed:
Instructions
- Peel and de-seed butternut squash. The rind is quite hard, so you may not be able to peel it with a vegetable peeler. I find it easiest to peel long strips along the neck of the squash. Then, but the squash in half, and scoop out the seed cavity.
- Cube the squash into about 1 inch cubes
- Pack squash loosely into sterilized jars
- Stop pint jars with 1/2 teaspoon salt, or quart jars with 1 teaspoon of salt
- Cover squash with water, leaving about an inch of headspace
- Screw lids and rings down firmly
- Place in prepared canner (you canner should have come with instructions. Typically isn’t something like adding the inner rack and adding 2 quarts of water to the bottom
- Secure lid onto canner, with steam valve open. On a weighted gauge canner, this usually just means removing the weight gauge
- Heat canner over medium-high heat until a steady stream of steam escapes the valve, and let connate to steam for 10 minutes
- Close valve, and bring canner to 10 pounds of pressure at sea level (for those at elevations, use this conversion chart)
- Once pressure level is reached, process pint jars for 75 minutes, and quart jars for 90 minutes
- Remove canner from heat, and let return to zero pressure naturally
- If needed, at this point you can open the valve to ensure all pressure is released, open the lid, and carefully remove jars, protecting them from drafts with a towel. Set the jars in a place where they can remain undisturbed while they cool, and cover with another towel.
- After 24 hours, check for seal, wash hardware stains, or stickiness off if needed, and store in a cool place out of direct light.