Place 4 clean 500 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.

The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.

Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Halve pumpkin, seed and remove rind. Alternatively, use a melon baler to cut pumpkin from rind.

Cut pulp into 3/4 inch (2 cm) cubes; measure 5 cups (1250 ml) into a large stainless steel saucepan. Peel, quarter and core pineapple. Cut pulp into 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces. Measure 5 cups (1250 ml); add to pumpkin.

Tie broken cinnamon stick in a large square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag; add to mixture. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 tbsp (15 ml) firmly packed and squeeze enough lemon juice to measure 1/2 cup (125 ml). Add juice and zest to pumpkin mixture.

Stir in prepared apricots, raisins, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil gently, uncovered, 2 minutes. Remove spice bag. Pack pumpkin mixture into a hot jar to within 3/4 inch (2 cm) of top rim.

Add hot liquid to cover mixture to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more pumpkin mixture and hot liquid. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.

Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining pumpkin mixture and hot liquid. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water.

Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.

At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 25 minutes.* When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

After cooling check jar seals. Sealed disc curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 25 minutes - 25 minutes.

Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 25 minutes