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DianaC
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We have been to 4 different grocery stores several times during the last few weeks to find canned pumpkin and none have any.
We do enjoy baking with pumpkin in the cooler months, so we'd like to stock up for baking, but also, we need to add it to our dog's food to help keep her 'regular'.
Is there a recall or shortage on pumpkin this year??
We are thinking about buying some pumpkins and puree-ing and canning our own. Has anyone done this - can you offer some pointers? Do we have to buy the special "pie pumpkins" or will any fresh pumpkin work?
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motherly loving
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I'm not sure if you have a Trader Joes near you (or if they ship), but I think they have canned pumpkin year round. At least I've seen it there more than just in the fall/winter. Also I think there's is the best. It's so creamy. I stock up on it ususally a couple times a year. It's my favorite "baby food" to feed a baby too. Sorry no help on the canning your own. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses though.
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DominaCaeli
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motherly loving wrote:
| I'm not sure if you have a Trader Joes near you (or if they ship), but I think they have canned pumpkin year round. At least I've seen it there more than just in the fall/winter. Also I think there's is the best. It's so creamy. I stock up on it ususally a couple times a year. It's my favorite "baby food" to feed a baby too. Sorry no help on the canning your own. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses though. |
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Ditto this exactly! 
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JodieLyn
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any fresh pumpkin will work and in my opinon tastes better than the canned pumpkin.. I'll make pumpkin puree from a jack o'lantern  just cut away the parts that were cut out and a thin slice of the inside and voila.. pumpkin to puree.
BUT don't can pumpkin puree.. it's so thick that you can get pockets/bubbles that won't heat evenly and can raise the risk of botulism pretty high. You can freeze the puree or you can can chunks of pumpkin.
And did you look both with the pie fillings and with the canned fruits and canned veggies at the store? I'm pretty sure I saw it at our safeway the other day.
Also baking it is one of the best ways to cook it.. leave the skin on and then scrape it off the skin after it's cook.. very easy.. then you just mash it into puree.. I find a standard hand mixer works best.. the beaters have the thinner "blades" that will cut through the strings whereas the stand mixers often have a thicker beater that just twines the strings around it.
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DianaC
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| Posted: Sept 16 2009 at 8:15pm | IP Logged
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We have a Trader Joe's 'coming soon' and I've heard that they have good prices.
Our stores usually carry the pumpkin year-round too which is why I thought it odd that so many stores would be out - and for several weeks. 
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 16 2009 at 8:16pm | IP Logged
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Oops.. I edited my post above.. not sure you saw that.
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DianaC
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Jodie,
Thank-you for the canning information. I think I may try freezing some. I am new to freezing and have limited space. Can I freeze it in ziploc bags?
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motherly loving
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yes trader joe's is fabulous. not for everything, but for certain items. ask anyone and they'll give you a list of their trader joe favorites. have fun.
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sunny
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so funny I was just searching for some this past weekend!! I use it for cooking all kinds of baked goods like cookies, waffles, cakes, even fruit and veggie smothies. My local grocery chain told me it just isnt season - meaning Thanksgiving.
And Jodie thank you for the canning info!!
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JodieLyn
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Diane - yes freeze it in ziplock.. squeeze to get all the air out.. and then flatten them out on the counter.. they'll stack great that way. I use qt bags and measure in 4 cups.. that lets me make a double batch of pumpkin bread or 2 pies at a shot. But determine how much you'll use at once and measure it out and freeze it.. then it's simple to thaw it enough to use.
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Jen L.
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Funny you mentioned the shortage possibility - I just read (or heard on the radio?) about this abut they didn't mention cans. There is a definite shortage of pumpkins this fall. Of course it would follow that if there is a shortage of pumpkins there would be a shortage of canned pumpkin too. Just took a second for my brain to catch up to that fact.  
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Jen L.
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I figured out where I read it - in the USA Today at the dentist yesterday...
Here's the article
I would buy a couple of cans now if I saw them, but it looks like more will be available soon.
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MaryM
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Interesting about the pumpkin crop this year. I remember a few years ago it was a bad year also and harder to get pumpkins. I haven't had trouble finding canned pumpkin here, but have noticed that the price is higher than last year.
Past thread: how to preserve pumpkin flesh?
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Carole N.
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Yes, as you say, the pumpkin crop was poor this year. They do not really cook with pumpkin over here, so cans are imported from America. I received an email from our importer letting us know that the crop was poor, but they are planning on having some.
Guess I will purchase a few pumpkins to make our pies!
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Paula in MN
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sunny wrote:
| I use it for cooking all kinds of baked goods like cookies, waffles, cakes, even fruit and veggie smothies. |
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I add it to all my sauces when I use the slow-cooker, even stews and roasts. My family loves the taste - and contine to ask what the secret ingredient is...giggle.
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lilac hill
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I freeze my own "pumpkin", but usually use any squash, particularly butternut, crookneck and hubbard. Pumpkin is usually cheaper after Halloween. I fill the oven with halved and seeded squash, cut side down with a couple of inches of water (keep a bit of water in the pan as it cooks. If the Hubbard is to big I cover the squash. Bake until soft. Once it is skinned I run it in the food processor, but not too much unless I want baby food. I have done the squash whole , just pierce the squash with a knife first, then cool, seed and skin after baking.
My MIL's pie recipe calls for 2 cups so I Ziplock package in 2 cup measures; enough for pie, cookies or a vegetable sidedish.
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Stephanie_Q
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lilac hill wrote:
| I freeze my own "pumpkin", but usually use any squash, particularly butternut, crookneck and hubbard. |
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We grew butterCUP squash this year and the flavor is so good and the texture is SO smooth. I read that this variety is the standard for smooth texture and that a lot of people use it for baking because of that.
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Lisbet
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So funny - I just was at the market to pick up things for dd to make pumpkin scones for Mary's Roses tomorrow - and the entire row marked "Canned Pumpkin" was BARE!!! So she's making plain scones.
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ALmom
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Just a fyi - canning is not recommended for home canning because it is so prone to botulism. That is what I was told when my ds wanted to experiment with making pumpkin pies and we didn't want to waste extra pumpkin. They recommended that we freeze it instead.
I am not a cook, home canning person so do take what I say with an extra large grain of salt, but it might be something to look into. It might be that since I had never canned before, no one wanted me to begin with pumpkin.
Janet
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Mary G
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| Posted: Sept 17 2009 at 6:39pm | IP Logged
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But I don't understand how a poor crop this year affects canned pumpkin?
It would only adversely affect fresh pumpkins ... the canned stuff is done longer ago than this year and would be the pumpkins that are grown not for looks or size but for flesh (which doesn't sell for Jack o'Lanterns) ....
Of course, the cynical side of me says they're hoarding the cans until folks realize there is no fresh and you'll need canned for Thanksgiving and Christmas time pies ... but that's just my cynical side ....
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Topic: Canned pumpkin??
