Pumpkin Shortage is Real

Today I discovered the pumpkin shortage is real!

It has been reported that heavy rains have so damaged the pumpkin fields that even big companies such as Nestle, which owns Libby’s pumpkin, will not pack any more pumpkin this year.

Heeding the dire warnings of the pumpkin shortage, I headed out to my local Food Lion to find the shelf space usually reserved for canned pumpkin as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard!  Visions of a bountiful Thanksgiving table minus the traditional pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads swam through my head.

Hurrying on to my favorite Kroger, I was rewarded with a find of 7 large cans of the Kroger brand pumpkin and 6 small cans of Libby’s. Believe me, I was tempted to buy every can and hoard it for my Christmas pies too, but I limited my purchase to just two large cans and one small.

 I always give our neighbors my homemade pumpkin and banana breads for Christmas but this year they may get more banana than pumpkin! As much as I wanted to empty Kroger’s pumpkin shelf, I realized being greedy would not be a very good way to start the holiday season. 

If you miss out on finding any pumpkin, try butternut squash. It is a good substitute and of course, sweet potato makes a great pie too! Have a little pumpkin but not enough? Stretch it out by adding  the butternut squash or sweet potatoes to it.  With the help of a little cinnamon and a few other spices, you’ll hardly taste the difference.

I will be especially grateful for pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Whether the pumpkin shortage is real or a marketing ploy, I hope you are all able to find as much pumpkin as you need!