Confiture de Sucrine
Prep Time 30 minutes 
Cook Time 50 minutes 
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes 
Servings 4 jarsIngredients
- 2 kg butternut squash traditionally Sucrine
- 1.4 kg sugar
- 2 mandarins optional, for extra zest and flavour
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 gr agar-agar optional, for a firmer set
Equipment
Instructions
1. Sterilise the jars and lids
- Wash the jars, glass lids, and rubber seals in hot soapy water and rinse well. Set the rubber seals aside, they don't go in the boiling water. Place a heatproof plate or trivet in the bottom of a stock pot (11l). Arrange the jars and glass lids in the pot, making sure they don't touch each other or the sides. Fill with cold water until everything is fully covered by at least 2.5 cm (1 inch). Bring to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars and lids in the hot water until ready to fill. Give the rubber seals a brief 2–3 minute simmer in a separate small pan, then leave them in the hot water until needed.
2. Prepare the squash
- Cut the butternut squash (or Sucrine) in half and remove the seeds and fibrous centre. Peel the squash with a sharp knife. Cut the flesh into regular, medium-sized chunks. Rinse the pieces under cold water and drain.
3. Macerate the fruit (optional but recommended)
- Place the butternut squash (or Sucrine) chunks in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar. Let them macerate for a few hours or overnight to draw out the juices and enhance the flavour.
4. Cook the jam
- Place the butternut squash (or Sucrine) in a stock pot or jam pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and zest. If using mandarins, peel them, cut into sections, and add to the pot, along with any zest. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to the mixture. Stir well.Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the mixture has thickened. If you want a smoother jam, you can blend part of the mixture with a stick blender or pass it through a food mill halfway through cooking.If using agar-agar, sprinkle it in halfway through cooking and stir well to dissolve.
5. Test the set
- Place a small spoonful of jam on a cold plate. If it wrinkles when pushed with your finger, it's set. If not, continue cooking for a few more minutes and test again.
6. Fill the jars
- Carefully remove the jars from the hot water using tongs or a jar lifter. Place them upright on a clean cloth. Fit a rubber seal onto each glass lid. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving about 1 cm (½ inch) of space at the top. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any drips.
7. Seal the jar
- Centre the glass lid (with its rubber seal) on the jar. Clip the metal bail arms down on both sides until they sit snugly. They should feel firm but you shouldn't need to force them.
8. Process in the water bath
- Use your jar lifter to lower the jars into the simmering water. They shouldn't touch each other or the sides of the pot. Add more hot water if needed to cover the jars by 2-3 cm. Put the lid on the stock pot. Bring the water to a rolling boil, big bubbles breaking the surface, then start your timer.
9. Remove and cool
- When the timer goes off, turn off the heat. Leave the jars in the water for 10 minutes to reduce the temperature shock. Use your jar lifter to remove them and place on a tea towel on the counter with at least 2-3 cm of space between each jar. Don't put them on a cold surface or they might crack.Leave them completely alone for 12-24 hours. No touching, no moving, no testing.
9. Check the seals + Label and store
- After 12-24 hours, release the wire bail arms and gently try to lift the glass lid with your fingers. If it stays firmly in place, the vacuum seal has formed and you're good. If the lid lifts straight off, the jar hasn't sealed, put it in the fridge and use it within a week.Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place, a cupboard works perfectly. Not above the cooker, not in direct sunlight. Properly sealed, most preserves last 12-18 months. But honestly, they'll probably be gone well before then.
Notes
- Sucrine squash: If you’re outside of France, you’re unlikely to come across Sucrine squash, but if you do spot it, please let us know! The easiest way is to substitute with another sweet, firm-fleshed squash, like Butternut Squash.
- Mandarines: These do add a lovely citrus note, but the jam is delicious without them too.
- Agar-agar: This is optional but helps the jam set without overcooking the fruit.
- Serving: Enjoy on fresh bread, with cheese, or as a filling for pastries.
About this recipe
This confiture de Sucrine recipe belongs to our neighbour Nathalie in Berry. Every October, she and her husband would harvest the Sucrine squash they grew themselves and spend an afternoon turning it into jars of this gorgeous amber jam squash. She gave us a jar the first autumn we moved in next to them, and by the following October we were making it ourselves. That’s how good recipes travel in French villages. Not through cookbooks, through neighbours and friends.
Where Sucrine comes from
The Sucrine du Berry is a squash variety that comes from the Berry region in central France. It’s smaller and rounder than a butternut, with dense, sweet, deeply orange flesh and a flavour that sits somewhere between butternut squash and sweet potato. It was almost lost completely, but thankfully kept alive only by a handful of local gardeners who carried on growing it when commercial agriculture moved on. Those gardeners brought it back, and it’s now celebrated across the region as part of local agricultural heritage, which I think is a lovely story.
Outside Berry, Sucrine du Berry is really difficult to find, so butternut squash is what I’d use instead. It makes a great butternut squash jam with the same texture and a very similar flavour, so don’t worry too much about it.
Butternut jam in French preserving tradition
In France, preserving is built around using what the season gives you in abundance and putting it away for the months when fresh produce is scarce. Autumn squash has always been part of that tradition, and confiture de Sucrine is basically the Berry region’s way of dealing with more squash than you can eat before winter arrives.
Jam squash might put you off if you haven’t tried it, but squash is naturally sweet and when it cooks down with sugar it intensifies in a really lovely and delicious way. The flesh produces a butternut jam with a thick, almost creamy texture that spreads beautifully on a French baguette. The vanilla and lemon in this recipe lift the flavour and makes it more than a boring one-note flavour. It tastes of autumn in the best and sweetest possible way.
Making the jam squash recipe at home
This jam squash recipe works the same way as any fruit preserve, so if you’ve made jam before you’ll feel right at home. The main difference is that squash releases less liquid than most fruits during cooking, and so the jam thickens quite quickly. Keep an eye on it towards the end, especially on the bottom of the pan.
As for the lemon juice, it does two jobs here. It adds zing that balances the sweetness of the squash and the sugar, and it also helps the butternut jam set properly, so don’t skip it or reduce it. Use a whole real vanilla pod rather than extract if you can. The seeds spread through the jam as it cooks and you can see them in the finished jar, which looks so much more beautiful than a plain amber jam.
One optional step that’s worth doing if you have the time: macerating the squash in sugar for a few hours before cooking. It draws out the juices and does make a difference to the final flavour.
The right jars for preserving
A good butternut squash jam deserves good jars because the seal matters as much as the recipe for how long the preserve keeps. I use my trustee Le Parfait jars for this. The rubber seal and bail arm closure create an airtight vacuum that keeps the jam fresh for months, and the 350ml size is just right, generous enough to share or give as a gift but not so big that an open jar sits in the fridge for weeks.
Make sure to sterilise the jars properly before you start. Wash them in hot soapy water, rinse well, and put them in a low oven for ten minutes before the jam is ready. Fill them while both the jar and the jam are hot, seal straight away, and turn upside down for a few minutes to make sure the seal has formed.
How to eat confiture de sucrine
My favourite way to eat this confiture de Sucrine is simply on a fresh baguette with good French butter at breakfast with my coffee. It’s also really delish on a slice of brioche at teatime, or alongside a cheese board, especially with aged goat’s cheese or a firm tomme. Nathalie used to serve it with pain d’épices, the spiced French gingerbread you find in Berry markets from October onwards, and that combination is worth trying if you can get your hands on some.
It also makes a really lovely gift. A jar of homemade butternut jam in autumn, properly sealed and labelled, it’s one people will remember!
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
Disclosure: Just so you know, this post contains sponsored content and/or affiliate links, If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Doesn’t cost you anything extra. I only link to things that are actually worth your time. All opinions are my own!
