I started looking for canned pumpkin last month. Couldn't find any. I did find some at Albertson's and bought three cans of organic pumpkin. Very pricey. Day before yesterday I found Libby's at Pavilions which is owned by Von's. They were double your price, but I bought 4 cans. I didn't want to be without pumpkin with Fall happening and Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. This is my favorite time of year and pumpkin bars and pies play a large role in my celebration of it.

Pam, I found the Libby's at Stater Bros. for $2 each. Like you, I also bought 4 cans and will probably end up buying more (hoping it will go on sale at some point). I misunderstood my sister...it wasn't Libby's pumpkin for 88 cents. It was Kroeger's own brand.

I meant to mention this for anyone who might have the need to do it. Canned pumpkin freezes beautifully. That comes in handy for someone who makes half the recipe and has a cup of the pumpkin left over.

I'm not a baker, but is canned pumpkin better for using in baking than cooking down a sugar pumpkin or kabocha? or just easier to scoop it out of a can? or is it for the consistency of flavor?

And re the idea of leftover canned pumpkin, how about mixing it into mashed potatoes for "orange mashed potatoes"? or combining it with pasta sauce for an interesting flavor boost (it also cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)?

MsMarm, this is just based on my own experience. I prefer the canned pumpkin for baking. The flavor and texture are excellent and it's also much more convenient. I have a friend who does use fresh pumpkin. However, I can't tell the difference from canned pumpkin in her baked goods. I don't think the time it takes her to bake and puree fresh pumpkin is worth it, but I guess she kind of enjoys it. Also, I've heard the nutrition in canned pumpkin is as good as fresh...as long as it's 100% pumpkin and nothing else. Thank goodness for Libby's!

Don't forget that this is the harvest season for pumpkins along with a lot of other veggies. Our shortage of pumpkins right now is due to a failed harvest last year.

Sorry to be dense, but why would last year's bad crop affect this year's harvest? Wouldn't this year's harvest be a result of this last spring's planting?

MsMarm, Leni's reminding us that the shortage of canned pumpkin now is a result of last years bad harvest. This year's harvest will be canned and next fall we should have no shortage. I have used both canned and fresh pumpkin. I agree with Champagne. The effort is not worth it for pies and baking. Most recipes are written expecting people to use canned and the recipes work consistently well. When I cooked my own pumpkin I had to drain it and drain it to get to the right consistency and I actually thought the canned tasted better in my pies and baked goods. I do love pumpkin. I would not hesitate to use fresh for soups, casseroles or a side dish where an exact consistency isn't an issue.

We've had a shortage for some time now. Once this years harvest is processed we should have no difficulty finding canned pumpkin. I hope that it will be fairly soon.

I get it now. Thanks all.

I was just cleaning out my pantry, and I found 4 cans of pumpkin in it. There is another recipe I use canned pumpkin for. It is delicious pasta with sausage and sage. It is from Rachel Ray, who's recipes I don't make much because they always use so many ingredients it takes more than 30 minutes just to get the stuff together. As a side note to this being an old post that just keeps giving, has there been any info from Maria about us getting back all of our old recipes in the archives from the search menu? With the holidays coming, I know I'm not the only one that relies on being able to find old recipes from here.

I will go find and post the pasta recipe. It really is good.

Carrie

I tested the search engine yesterday and it is working properly. Should have no trouble finding older recipes. Let Champagne or I know if you do have a difficulty.

bumping...

Made some this morning!

I knew someone would bump these. I do love them so. I'm going to make them this weekend.