Brazilian Candied Pumpkin
This traditional Brazilian candied pumpkin is slowly simmered and soaked in sugar syrup until every piece is bursting with sweetness. After soaking up all that syrup, the pumpkin becomes incredibly soft, sweet, and juicy, almost like biting into a perfectly ripe persimmon! It's such a simple yet delicious way to turn an ordinary pumpkin into a sweet treat.
Equipment
- Large glass container (for soaking the pumpkins)
- Large Pot
- Kitchen scale
- Nitrile gloves (for handling pickling lime solution)
- Cooling rack (optional)
- baking tray (optional)
Ingredients
- 6 mini orange pumpkins
- 2 liters water (for soaking the pumpkins)
- 10 g food-grade pickling lime
Sugar Syrup
- 2 liters water
- 1 kg granulated sugar
- 250 g brown sugar
- 2 whole cloves (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Instructions
- Use an apple corer or a small knife to carefully make a small circular opening at the bottom. Then, use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Try to keep the pumpkins intact so they hold their cute little shapes!
- Prepare lime solution: Wearing protective nitrile gloves, dissolve 10g food-grade pickling lime to 2 liters of cold water.
- Submerge the pumpkins in the prepared lime solution for 3 hours.
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the pumpkins.
- Place the pumpkins into a large pot. Add 2 liters of water, 1 kg of granulated sugar, and 250g brown sugar in the large pot. Add cloves and cinnamon if desired.
- Cook on medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 - 3 hours depending on size. Avoid stirring too much to prevent the pumpkins from breaking apart.
- Turn off the heat and let the pumpkin cool and soak in the syrup for 3 hours.
- Carefully transfer the candied pumpkins to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to catch any dripping syrup. I left mine at room temperature for three days, during which the outside gradually became firmer while the inside stayed incredibly soft, sweet, and juicy, almost like a perfectly ripe persimmon!
- Strain the leftover syrup in the pot through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pumpkin bits, then pour it into a clean glass bottle or jar. You've just made a delicious, homemade pumpkin syrup! It's perfect for sweetening coffee, tea, or drizzling over pancakes and desserts. Let it cool, then refrigerate promptly in a sealed container.