Canned Pumpkin Shortage: Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
When I heard yesterday that Eggo Waffles were in short supply due to flooding damage at one of their manufacturing facilities and repairs to another, my heart, honestly, didn’t even waffle.
I’m loving my Van’s Gluten-free Waffles; and as long as those Eggo-eating folks lego of my Van’s, and don’t leave them in short supply – my gluten free world is good.
But today I heard that canned pumpkin is now in short supply. This, my friends, causes a bit of gluten-free concern, since the Pumpkin Pie is one of the best all-around, gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts.
Pumpkin Pie can be a quick and easy dessert to make gluten-free, especially if you buy a pre-made gluten free pie crust. Pumpkin Pie is also an “I made this from scratch” masterpiece if you decide to tackle making your own gluten-free pie crust.
But what to do if you have no canned pumpkin? No worries. As long as you have access to a sweet pumpkin, the kind found in most grocery store’s produce departments, you can make your own pumpkin puree.
Watch out Libby’s.
Sugar pumpkins, or often called pie pumpkins, are different than the traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins. First off, sugar pumpkins taste better than traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Also, sugar pumpkins are more “meaty” on the inside, with a thicker pulp-filled shell; while jack-o-lantern pumpkins are hollower.
Making pumpkin puree as a substitute to canned pumpkin is as simple as baking a butternut squash. Below is a quick and easy recipe for making homemade pumpkin puree:
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut a medium-sized sugar pumpkin into small 3”-4” pieces, remove seeds and pith. In a large baking dish, place the pumpkin pieces skin side up in about ¼” to ½” of water.
Place the baking pan in the oven and bake the pumpkin for about 1 hour or until soft. Let cool; then carefully peel away the skin and discard. Place the pumpkin pulp in a bowl and mash with a potato masher, or pulse in a food processor, being careful not to over process.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:02 am
I didn’t think much the waffle shortage either. I didn’t hear about the canned pumpkin shortage though. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I guess Americans are being forced to go back to baking one’s own pumpkin! I hope some children in this country will learn how to make fresh pumpkin puree and that it isn’t always necessary to depend upon canned goods!
Sarah
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Remember folks, homemade pumpkin puree is going to have a lot more water, hence runny or less concentrated taste. Strain out some water or cook off some of the water to thicken it up. Also, homemade pumpkin puree is not a substitute for canned pumpkin pie filling. So watch the recipe. I’ve learned these after growing an acre of pumpkins and trying just about every pumpkin recipe known to man. But I would LOVE to know how to make pumpkin extract to intensify of the flavor of homemade puree. Any ideas?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Thanks for the clarification, Suz! I have dug up a recipes online to make homemade “canned pumpkin pie filling”… as follows:
http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php
Does anyone else have any other ideas / recipes!
Be Free!
Kathleen