canned pumpkin

[Tiam]

I've always thought of canned pumpkin as a bargain canned veg. The garden variety at the store are cheap enough. But I've been surprised this season by high caned pumpkin prices and have not bought any at all to store up. I can use fresh of course. But I wanted to set some by. Is it high where you are?

[Jilly]

Yes. It was what I thought to be high last year, as well as in very short supply. I have not any way to store fresh pumpkin, so canned it is for me.

[artist]

Not as high as last year. The year before last we had a drought season that did a number on pumpkin crops. Last year the prices were high due to high demand and a low yeald. This year things we back to normal. Did your area have a drought?

[Wildflower]

Prices for canned pumpkin is high here and in short supply just like last year. The midwest has experienced a horrible drought that started the summer before this last one and continued into this growing season as well. :(

[Gregg]

I don't really remember what the price was last year, but I do know canned pumpkin never went on sale around Thanksgiving like it usually does. We don't use a lot of it. A few pies, a couple pots of pumpkin soup, maybe a batch of tortellini, that's about it for us so higher prices don't have a major impact.

[Rosemary]

A few years ago I could count on getting 15 oz cans of pumpkin for about 65 cents before Thanksgiving or at end-of-season in March. This year the best price I've seen is $1 for the same size, on sale. That's the regular price at Aldi's, too. There was a shortage reported of pumpkin 2-3 years ago, but I know that this year was a booming growing season for them here in MN.

[Tiam]

Not as high as last year. The year before last we had a drought season that did a number on pumpkin crops. Last year the prices were high due to high demand and a low yeald. This year things we back to normal. Did your area have a drought?

No, no drought. But at the pumpkin patches for the last few years, I've noticed lower crops and less variety and more diseases. I've heard farmers say they haven't had good crops, not sure about this year though. It used to be one of the cheapest canned foods there were.

[Amaranth]

No deals here either.

If you don't mind growing your own pumpkin, you can grow butternut squash which is usually what is in the cans. It keeps well for many months under normal household conditions. Additionally you might also consider getting some seeds from Nichols for Sweet Meat--Oregon Homestead bred by Carol Deppe. They keep for a long time. You can cook the squash and then freeze the extra not needed for that meal in meal size portions. For more info about growing and making best use of it, see The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe.
https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/store/product-info.php?Sweet_Meat-Oregon_Homestead-pid886.html

[pony mom]

Just down the road from my barn are acres and acres of pumpkins. They grew there, were never picked, and are left to rot. Such a waste.

BTW, did you know that canned pumpkin is great for dogs who are constipated or have diarrhea? Works both ways. Handy thing to have around.

[Gregg]

Just down the road from my barn are acres and acres of pumpkins. They grew there, were never picked, and are left to rot. Such a waste.

My Grandad always had a big pumpkin patch, as in a few acres, behind his barn. Grandma would make a few pies and the kids could take as many as they wanted for jack-o-lanterns, but hundreds and hundreds were left in the field every fall. As the vines grew they would shade the ground so it was always cooler and moister than the surrounding area which meant the vines would grow farther and faster. For the whole growing season Grandma would turn her chickens loose in that patch to eat all the bugs (free chicken feed). At the end of the season Grandad would turn his cattle loose on the pumpkins. The cattle loved them and so did Grandad (free cattle feed)! It was especially beneficial because cold winter weather helped preserve the pumpkins so they were available to the cattle all winter long, or at least until they were all consumed.

Because the seeds aren't digested there were several volunteer pumpkin patches all over their ranch. The main patch came back every year by doing absolutely nothing. The animals scratching around was plenty of cultivation, enough fertilizer was never an issue, every pumpkin produced hundreds of seeds for next year, the dead vines still provided cover for the soil in the spring and (typically) the spring rains got everything going. This is in northwest Oklahoma which is not the most hospitable growing environment for anything, except maybe tumbleweeds. Its been over 20 years since there have been any cattle out there, but the pumpkins still come back every year. If anyone is interested here's an except by Karla H. Jenkins who is an Extension Cow/Calf and Range Management Specialist here in Nebraska:


"Pumpkins:

Pumpkins are grown in western Nebraska for decorative purposes in the fall as well as for human consumption. Pumpkins with blemishes typically are discarded and many pumpkins are broken or damaged during harvest, making them unacceptable for market. Furthermore, after Oct. 31, the market for decorative pumpkins plummets and many pumpkins are just left in the fields. Some producers have grazed pumpkin fields in conjunction with cornstalk fields but little is known about the nutritive value of pumpkins for beef cattle. The analysis presented in Table I indicates DM digestibility and crude protein to be high (61-71 percent and 14.3 percent DM, respectively) and the fiber to be moderate (25-38 percent DM). Carving pumpkins tended to be lower in dry matter and acid detergent fiber, and have greater digestibility than pie pumpkins. The crude protein and neutral detergent fiber were similar for both types of pumpkins. These data suggest pumpkins are a good source of energy and adequate in protein for beef cattle. "