(Makes about 2 kilos)

This beautiful golden preserve, with its tropical hints of rum and vanilla is exquisite spooned over vanilla or rum and raisin ice-cream.

1.5 kilo pumpkin, rind and seeds discarded
500 ml unsweetened apple juice
2 vanilla pods
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup clear honey
1 kilo jam sugar
125 ml rum

Cut the pumpkin into pieces and then slice it very thin. Put it in a non-reactive saucepan with the apple juice, vanilla pods and lemon juice. Cook for 10 minutes, until the pumpkin is just soft, but not collapsing – you want to try to retain the nice thin slices. Add the honey and sugar, stir until the sugar has dissolved then boil for five minutes before adding the rum.

Continue boiling until setting point has been reached then remove the pan from the heat. Take out the vanilla pods and, when cool enough to handle, halve them then split each half in two. Scrape the seeds back into the jam and stir to distribute them. You can put a piece of vanilla pod in each hot sterilised jar before you spoon in the jam.

Seal the pots and label them.