Pumpkin Spiced Butter

This isn’t a recipe, it’s more of a general method.

Start with several pie pumpkins. Wash and slice pumpkins into wedges. You can discard the pumpkin seeds, but we dry the seeds out for a day, then give them to the squirrels.

Drizzle oil of your choice over pumpkins, or use a pastry brush. We used roasted almond oil to add a nutty flavor.

Bake pumpkin wedges for, oh, about an hour maybe? Hour and a half? At 350? Until they smell delicious and can pierced easily with a fork.

Scrape the roasted pumpkin from the pumpkin peel (rind? Skin? Shell?), and discard the peel. Compost if you like.

Add some spices and sugar (if desired). Don’t go overboard with flavorings, as it cooks down the flavors will concentrate. You can always add more spice later. Cook in the slow cooker for 5 or 6 hours.

Put your pumpkin butter in jars and can in the usual way. We used a pressure canner.

Try not to eat it all the first day. Save some for the cold months ahead.