Update: If you’d like to know how to cook a pumpkin in your slow cooker, Toni has a great tutorial!
I’m hearing from all sorts of places (Facebook, Twitter, message boards, and here) that there indeed is a canned pumpkin shortage.
There was bad weather during last year’s crop that ruined about 1/3 of the crop…resulting in the shortage on grocery shelves today. I know my grocery store has been out for weeks. And others in Indiana, Iowa, California are also reporting difficulty finding this precious commodity and NECESSITY in their stores.
I share this not to induce widespread panic. Just to let you know the situation.
So, if you see a can. Buy it.
Is your store out??? Libby’s and Nestle are reassuring stores and their customers that the canned pumpkin will be on shelves again in the next few weeks.
If you are DESPERATE for canned pumpkin, look for an organic variety that might still be on the shelves, perhaps in a different part of your grocery store.
I don’t believe that we will all be without pumpkin pies at our Thanksgiving feasts this year! Nevermind that Libby’s canned pumpkin is responsible for the 50 million pumpkin pies each November!!!
Don’t panic!
Rest assured…You can substitute cooked butternut squash for pumpkin in most recipes. They are very similar in consistency, and only differ slightly in color and taste.
And if all else fails…I’ll hold onto the can I bought yesterday and auction it off!
(Just kiddin’)
Maybe.
Are you having trouble finding canned pumpkin in your area? Let us know “your area/store’s status”!
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I can’t find any canned pumpkin in Anchorage, AK. I was looking for some to make pumpkin ravioli, and so far have hit 3 grocery stores-no one has it. I haven’t tried Sam’s Club yet, hopefully they might have it as someone suggested.
I also live in Anchorage, AK…I have tried 3 Fred Meyer, 2 Carrs and both Walmarts…no luck! Luckily my mother in law had a couple cans left over from last year so I can still make my pumpkin roll for everyone at work
Good luck at Sam’s!!!
I can’t find any either – tried Eagle River Freddies, Carrs, and Wal-Mart – no luck… going to try New Sagaya and Natural Pantry and Costco… Sigh…
@Nicole,
Pumpkin score! Walmart (off Dimond and Old Seward) and Fred Meyers on Abbott both have it. Freddie’s is the best buy, with both large and small cans. Walmart had only small cans, and they were roughly the same price as the large cans at Freddies. I stocked up-and have a feeling others will be doing the same, so good hunting!!
After reading this I had to double check my pantry to make sure I still had pumpkin!
Since its always on sale around Thanksgiving we stock up for the whole year so I haven’t noticed if there is any available in my stores (I will be looking now though). We dont eat alot of pumpkin anyway so 6-8 cans usually get us through to the next season. We also always use cans that were purchased the previous year for our pies, for some reason, maybe because it has had time to mellow, it just makes a tastier pie then using pumpkin purchased in the current year.
I just found your site today and Im already hooked on it! I can’t wait to try some of your recipes
Looked for it at Walmart, SweetBay, and 2 Publix stores this past weekend in Englewood, Florida and was told at each store that they do not know when the store will receive a shipment.
Don’t fret over canned pumpkin! Pumpkins abound everywhere right now. Simply wash the pumpkins, quarter them, and scoop out the seeds (reserve for roasting — a great snack!). Place pumpkin on a baking sheet. Bake about 45 minutes at 350F or until soft. Let the pumpkin cool. Scoop it from the rind, and puree in food processor or food mill. I then portion it 2 cups per QT freezer bag, label, and freeze flat. Most recipes call for 1 cup pumpkin at a time, so you may want to freeze it in smaller portions. This week, I made your basic fruit and nut muffin recipe with pumpkin puree from last year, combined with raisins and pecans — YUM!
I realized that all 6 local stores were out of stock the day before you posted your note. I was lucky enough to find a small health food store with some left. I have been doing so good at couponing, but I paid full price for their entire stock (12 small cans and 3 large cans). My daughter is allergic to eggs and we use pumpkin to make her favorite muffins. She is allergic to so may things, I wanted to ensure she would not miss out on them
I live in Alabama and cannot find any pumpkin either. Walmart does not have it; I do not know about Sam’s. Amazon had a 12 pack of pumpkin for sale when I checked yesterday.
A little over a week ago I came across the idea to make a brownie mix with a can of pumpkin in lieu of the oil, eggs, and whatever else it calls for. I love brownies, but not the fat, so I sent my husband out to get pumpkin and brownie mix. He didn’t find any, and on his own, the next day he went to every store in town that sells groceries, to no avail. We thought maybe someone was making a lot of pumpkin something for an event or something in the area. Then we heard about the pumpkin shortage. Needless to say, I am still craving those brownies! We live in the Pittsburg, KS area.
There is no canned pumpkin to be found in the Orlando, Florida area. All of my local stores are completely out.
I found libby’s pumpkin tonight at the Target on West 192 in Kissimmee.
I have got pumpkin bread in the oven now. YUM
Springfield, MO is in very short supply of canned pumpkin, WalMart and Dillons are out! Found a couple of cans at Price Cutter so snatched them up and will treat them like gold!
our walmart has tons
I just blogged about this debacle of mine, searching for one lonely can in Kansas City. I’m going to call a few places today just to keep checking, but I’m glad to read that the big companies are planning to replenish the stock – it’s weird to see completely empty shelves of a staple!
It really is easy to make your own pumpkin puree as the previous poster wrote. Try to get pie pumpkins and make your own. If you can’t get pie pumpkins butternut squash is a close second. I would only use jack-o-lantern pumpkins as a last resort to those others. By the way if you come upon anything called Hubbard Squash, they make the best pumpkin pies by far. I grew some this year when I heard that’s what Mrs. Smith’s frozen pies are made from…..MMMMM….best pie ever. We don’t have to be slaves to canned goods, you can do it yourself.
why all the fuss??? just make your own puree from fresh pumpkin. I know for a fact your local farmer’s market has fresh pumpkin! Support a farmer, buy a fresh pumpkin for heaven’s sake!
I live in central Iowa and our store has the “offbrand” (Stokely’s) but not any Libby’s. And they only had the big cans. There were none of the 14 (or 15??) oz cans in the store.
There was quite a bit of what they did have, though.
As a few others have suggested, using fresh pumpkins as a substitute works great! You’ll want to look for the “Pie Pumpkin” variety. They’re much smaller than the ones usually sitting outside for Halloween. All you need to do is treat it like you would butternut squash – cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, lay face down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender. It’s also much cheaper. Walmart has “pie” pumpkins for sale near the potatoes right now and they’re only about 59 cents/lb. I got a pumpkin that was a little over 2lbs so it was way cheaper than buying it canned.
Yes, by all means, if you have the opportunity try making some fresh! So yummy! Thanks for all the comments on hubbard squash. I bought a small one today to try.
I also checked Ingles in Knoxville, TN and there was a HUGE supply of both store brand (Laura Lynn) and Libby canned pumpkin. It did seem a bit high, but I haven’t priced this item in a long time. I think it was about $1.20 for a small can. I haven’t looked anywhere else, but if you have an Ingles, you might want to try there!
Oh great! Now I am craving pumpkin pie.
My sister in law said she couldn’t find any canned pumkin and she’s been craving a pumpkin pie. I thought it was weird but now i know there’s a reason!
we are in western Mass.
Shortage in Massachusetts too! I could find ‘One Pie’ brand – actually rated one of the top canned pumpkin products- so I was happy I was still able to get it. I found it at a small local Butcher / specialty shop in North Andover – Butcher Boy!
Could not find it anywhere else – Stop and Shop – out in 2 different stores – our local chain Market Basket also out! Target too,,
Funny, having friends over tomorrow for Pumpkin Pie lesson – we planned 2-3 weeks ago – so was looking everywhere
glad I found some,, my mom just started making her Pumpkin puree from real pumpkins last year, delicious – price of pumpkins must be going up too?!
Funny, my mother in law and I were both discussing how difficult it had been to find canned pumpkin, not realizing that there was a shortage until now! She has a great pumpkin muffin recipe that she makes and my daughter has been begging me to make pumpkin pancakes! We had both found a can of the “off” brand while we were looking for Libby’s but I guess I just needed a little encouragement to turn that real pumpkin centerpiece on my dining room table into something more worthwhile! Afterall, it came straight from the garden of the lady down the road who has been carefully tending her crop all summer! What a great reason to let her know how much her hard work is appreciated!
Use fresh pie pumpkins, it is awesome! You can even freeze this product for future use. Just wash, cut in half, clean out seeds, and bake upside down on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees till tender, cool, scoop out meat and use in making pies, breads, etc. Most stores are carrying this product now. There is nothing like a fresh baked pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin!
I found some yesterday at Sam’s club…a 3 pack of large cans…although walmart shelves were empty,
Summerville, SC
All of the stores in Denver are out. Groceries and Target and Wal-mart. It’s terrible! What is fall without pumpkins?
This is the story of my life-A day late or a dollar short-lol
First time in 20 years I had an urge for pumkin ravioli. So, I went to the Publix Market and was told by a manager there was indeed a shortage-reason unknown. I was assured that by October stores would be replenishing stock. Apparently this must be true because pumpkins that were selling for a 1.74/lb in Walmart and I bought a small one now on sale for 74cents/lb yesterday. I dd have a butternut squash that I will now make soup out of, it does look and taste almost like pumkin as a pie or cake, but as a veggie pumpkin and B-Nut are very different in taste and aroma.
I have feeling Charley Brown and his friends are at the bottom of this? LOL
No canned pumpkin to be found in the Greater Cincinnati are here in Ohio
My local Woods SuperMarket is out of canned pumpkin and says they cannot get any more. While I was looking for it, a lady who was also looking for some and worked in nearby Springfield, said she had experienced the same thing at some stores there. The Woods SuperMarkets are located in my town of Stockton, also Bolivar, Buffalo and a few other small communities in southwest Missouri. Guess I will have to rob my front yard display of pumpkins to bake pies this year!
NO canned pumpkin in the Clay/Liverpool, NY area (near Syracuse, NY).
I’m in Omaha & no pumpkin in the few places I’ve looked also.
Since I joined Weight Watchers not too long ago, I’ve used up all my reserve pumpkin I’d bought over last year’s holidays. One of my favorite recipes is to just take a regular cake mix (and chocolate is awesome!), mix in 1 can of pumpkin, 1/2 c water, and pour into 24 muffin tins. Bake @ 350′ for 20 min. They’re so fantastic, moist – and only 2 points!
PS – love this site! Just bookmarked it so I can try some of your recipes!!!
No pumpkins to be found in the Denton/DFW area!
Funny thing is I must have bought some just before the shortage and made a couple of loafs then wanted to make some more. i read your post and thought na, I just bought some but sure enough i’ve checked and it’s no where to be found! Boise
No pumpkin shortage where I live! The Kroger in Milan, MI has full shelves of both large and small cans of both Libby’s and the Kroger brand. The Meijer on Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti, MI, has only large cans of both Libby’s and the Meijer brand.
Good thing that I kept buying them earlier this year…. thinking that I only had 1 left. I think I have like 5 or 6 cans now.
No canned pumpkin at target or Hyvee in Davenport Iowa! I’m bummed!
Wow am I glad I planted all those pie pumpkins this year, it was just supposed to be an experiment and now look…
Tons of canned pumpkin available at Sam’s Club in Palmdale, CA. I nearly bought some but didn’t. Now I think I better go stock up! We go through lots of pumpkin bread at this time of year. Yum!
No pumpkin at my WalMart in Norwich NY – but don’t panic – here’s directions of how to use regular pumpkins for all of your favorite recipes! http://bit.ly/7kJ9Y
We don’t just use pumpkin for pies, we use it as a food supplementation for ours cats. You can imagine how going through 5+ large cans per week has affected our household. We’re down to driving about 25 miles each weekend to try to find some cans, we’re now down to buying the small cans. I’m not happy at ALL!
No shortage to speak of (yet) here in the Philadelphia suburbs. I’ve bought it twice in the last three weeks. Just in case, you know. Actually yesterday I saw a large display of the big cans in the baking aisle.
Sweet potatoes can also be used in place of pumpkin.
South FL is a no-go for canned pumpkin for about 3 weeks now. I make pumpkin muffins and used at least 4 cans a month. We are really missing those! I just emailed libby’s. I hope they get it back on the shelves soon. I’m not really interested in messing with a gooey whole pumpkin to make muffins…..
@Wendee,
just found a bunch of cases at Walmart on 184th and Pines. Plus Libby’s wrote to me and said that a full stock should be available soon everywhere.
I hadn’t heard about the shortage. I’ll actually have a can leftover from last year, and since canned goods last for years, maybe that will be what I’m using this year! Sweet potato pie also tastes just like pumpkin pie.
The only place I have found canned pumpkin here in Hawaii is at Walgreens in Kailua. They only have the large cans. No fresh pumpkins to be found.
I am a member of the management team at a local grocery store in Topeka, KS. We had a half pallet of pumpkin left from last years supply (expiration dates in 2011). Now we have 1 case left of the big cans of Libby’s pumpkins. We are being told by the warehouse that the manufactures plan to have it available next week.
Thought you might enjoy reading this post.
http://mrsworm.blogspot.com/2009/09/be-vewy-vewy-qwiet-were-hunting-canned.html
You cant buy canned pumpkin in Australia full stop. Never have been able to get it. So we always cook our own. Butternut is my favourite, for cooking with and eating.
no pumkin here in Fort Myers Florida !
no pumpkin here in SW Florida
why no pumpkin in florida, but have located it in all stores in Michigan where our children live????? Does that make sense? Come on—-let’s get it distributed across the country—ok.
Sad to say no pumpkin in Greenville, SC. Hopefully, they will have it soon…my kids are hounding me for pumpkin muffins.
We have been substituting sweet potato for pumpkin for several years now in our holiday pies. We like it better. Just bake and mash and substitute the same amount.
Holy smokes! This is the first I’ve heard of a shortage. It makes me want to run and grab all the pumpkin right now!! lol
Actually, I think it gives us a good chance to make it from a real pumpkin. I like the comments above with directions and telling how to freeze. You rock, Sara and Pat!
But either way, I’m grabbing some next time I see a can. If nothing else, then for the recipe on the back.
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