It’s like clockwork; same time every year I got to the store to hunt down a few cans of pumpkin. I like to buy the bigger cans of pumpkin that way I can refrigerate any leftovers and make something else down the road. But this year, I started hunting down pumpkin cans a little bit early. You see, I had a heard a rumor through the grapevine of the cooking world that for whatever reason, there is a shortage on canned pumpkin.
Josh laughed at me last month when I told him I wanted to start stocking up on canned pumpkin. He didn’t believe me at all….Boys, right? So I went to our local Fred Meyer’s grocery store and I couldn’t find any cans anywhere! I looked in the canned foods aisle, none was to be found. I looked in the baking aisle, again coming up short. I went to the health foods aisle…nothing there. Of course, I thought it was very very strange. So I found a store clerk…(is that what we call them…store clerks?) and asked if they had any pumpkin in the store. And she told me that they had been completely sold out since June…JUNE! Can you believe it? I was shocked.
So I let it go, and kept my eyes open every time we went to the store. I was coming up empty and now that September is here…it’s really just frustrating now. WHO IS STEALING THE CANNED PUMPKIN?? Even some of my girlfriends online * Hi Emily & Nancy* have discussed this amongst ourselves and it’s so funny because Nancy had warned us about this last year and I completely forgot about it…( I guess I need to pay better attention) but Canned Pumpkin is very hard to find right now. Emily and I joked that we should go in on a big box of it from Amazon and split it…and I think we both would of done it…but Josh said no! * Are you reading this Josh…please reconsider?*
Finally, last week we went to our neighborhood Thriftway ( which is where we buy most of our produce) and I was able to find one last can of Organic Pumpkin puree. That’s all there was. Now, I’m deathly afraid to even use this can in fear that I will never again find another one! * You see what your doing here Josh…you should just let me split a box with Emily!*
Every week, I put it on my grocery list so that I’ll remember to look for it..but every time, somebody else beats me to the punch…isn’t that rude? My friend Nancy ( who I mentioned above) is contemplating just buying a regular old pumpkin and gutting it herself, so she’ll have her own pureed pumpkin. I’m not sure I’m that ambitious though…maybe if we didn’t live on opposite sides of the country I could just go to her house and we could dance and sing along in her kitchen while making homemade batches of pumpkin puree. But I don’t know anybody who would be so kind as to buy me an airplane ticket to go see Nancy…though that would be so wonderful * Don’t you think Nanc?*
Have any of you noticed a pumpkin shortage, or is it all of you who is beating me to the punch at the store? If it is, watch out…I’m coming after you, lol…Just kidding :)
Chels
Monday 20th of September 2010
Well that doesn't sound to hard Lindsay...maybe I could try it sometime, lol!
I was able to find some cans in the store this week, so I bought a huge can of pumpkin pie mix and regular puree :) So So happy now :)
ED's Wife
Sunday 19th of September 2010
I didn't have any trouble last year finding it at Costco. I haven't looked this year though 'cause I got a few pumpkins free from a friend's garden and made my own and still have a little bit left in the freezer. It's really not that hard to make your own, just takes a little time. I bet you could do it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. : )
Lindsay Jewell
Saturday 18th of September 2010
Homemade pumpkin puree is super easy to make, Chels. Wrap it in foil, roast it in the oven and let it cool for awhile on the counter. Once it's cool, scoop out the seeds and remove the peel. Dump the meat in a food processor: pumpkin puree.
Or you could process a roasted pumpkin through a food mill, skipping the step where you remove the seeds and the peel. The food mill will take care of it for you.
Give it a shot. It'll make your house smell really good. :)