1 l (about 500 g) peeled pumpkin, cut into small dice (1 × 1 cm)

200 ml spirit vinegar (10 %)
320 ml water
300 ml sugar
about ½ tbsp whole cloves
pinch of grated nutmeg or mace
½ cinnamon stick

Place the ingredients for the pickling liquid in a large, shallow saucepan and bring to the boil.

Pour the pumpkin cubes in the pan and cover it. Let the pumpkin simmer gently in the liquid for about 20 to 40 minutes, or until the cubes are tender and translucent, but still firm enough to hold their shape. The pumpkin must not become mushy. Check the consistency and shake the pan gently every now and then.

While still boiling hot, pour the pumpkin cubes together with the pickling liquid in clean glass jars sterilized with boiling water. Make sure that the pickling liquid entirely covers the pickles. Prepare some more pickling liquid, if there is not enough of it. Close the jars with tight, clean lids, let cool down and store in refrigerator.

The pumpkin pickles is ready to eat already on the following day. Serve the pickles as a piquant accompaniment for various meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

Recipe source: adapted from "Kurpitsasalaatti", Altia Oyj's Rajamäen-website, accessed 2002/traditional Finnish recipe.