-Yes, this recipe does use a lot of sugar but I consider these a treat. Most of the sugar will be in the syrup and not the pumpkin pieces. The quantity is needed to reduce water activity and thus prevent spoilage. If you are using less pumpkin, you don't need to make as much syrup. Therefore you can scale down the amount of syrup proportionally.
-You can use any variety of pumpkin for these preserves: fairy tale pumpkin, cheese pumpkin, and even kabocha--all work great.
-When you eat all the preserved pumpkin pieces, you will be left with the syrup which can be stored in the refrigerator for months. Use it to sweeten coffees, teas, and lattes with a spiced pumpkin flavor.
-You can flavor these preserves in numerous ways. Some things that would be good to simmer with the pumpkin: orange peels, slices of ginger, a vanilla bean, star anise, or cardamom.