Ah, fall, the time of year where pumpkin reigns supreme. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes… pumpkin everything!
Well, at least that’s what we’ve thought for all these years.
See, I recently discovered that the pumpkin puree that grocery stores have been selling us for years has little to no actual pumpkin in it.
That’s right, the orange pumpkins in the package? They may not be inside the can. It’s probably a few varieties of squash instead.
Libby’s Pure Pumpkin, which provides 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin, grows something called the Dickinson squash, and that’s what’s in those cans.
The FDA legally allows this to be called pumpkin, hence the name and photo on the can. Companies often combine different types of plants in order to find the consistency, flavor, and color they desire.
Now, this doesn’t bother me, but if it bothers you, you can always make you own pumpkin puree. Just cut open a sugar pumpkin, get rid of the seeds and pulp, and roast at 375 F, side down, for 1.5-2 hours.
Yeah, I’m just going to stick with the canned pumpkin. I don’t really mind that it’s all a sham… those pies are still pretty stinkin’ delicious.