Pumpkin in Oil

Oil-preserved pumpkin is a great way to preserve pumpkin and enjoy it as an appetizer or side dish. Here is the step-by-step recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 kg pumpkin (preferably Mantuan pumpkin or another variety suitable for preservation)
• 1 liter white wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 black peppercorns
• 2 garlic cloves
• Coarse salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Aromatic herbs to taste (rosemary, thyme, sage, etc.)
• Chili pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Clean the pumpkin by removing the skin and seeds, then cut it into pieces. The pieces should not be too small, but not excessively large either, so choose an intermediate cut (about 2x2 cm).

2. Soak the pumpkin pieces in a solution of water and coarse salt for 24 hours. This step ensures the crunchiness of the final product.

3. After 24 hours, rinse the pumpkin pieces under running water to remove excess salt.

4. Prepare a solution with white wine vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic and bring to a boil. Then add the pumpkin pieces and boil them in the vinegar for about 5 minutes.

5. Drain the pumpkin pieces and place them on a clean cloth to dry thoroughly.

6. Prepare sterilized jars for preservation. At the bottom of each jar, add a little extra virgin olive oil and the chosen aromatic herbs.

7. Arrange the dried pumpkin pieces in the jars in layers, alternating with more oil and a few peppercorns, garlic, and chili if you prefer a spicier flavor.

8. Make sure the pumpkin is completely covered with oil and seal the jars hermetically.

9. Store the jars in a cool, dry place for at least one month before consuming, to allow the pumpkin to absorb the flavors.

Curiosities

In some variations of the recipe, you can also add mustard seeds or vinegar flavored with herbs to give the oil-preserved pumpkin even more refined flavors. Oil-preserved pumpkin can be served as an appetizer with bread crostini or as a side dish with meat main courses.