Pumpkin crops squashed!
UPDATE: I talked to Kroger spokesman Carl York this afternoon, and he said the shortage is definitely affecting supplies of canned pumpkin in our area. Kroger stores are getting it “on allocation,” which means they cannot get all that they order right now. He said he isn’t sure when the rationing will end, but he does know that it has not affected supplies of frozen pumpkin pies or the pumpkin pies you can buy in the Kroger bakery.
“I know for some customers, that might not be an alternative,” he said.
If you go to your Kroger store and cannot find canned pumpkin, check with the customer service desk. They may be able to tell you if another order is coming in or if they can get some from another store. Also remember that fresh pie pumpkins are a delicious alternative to canned pumpkin. If you can find pie pumpkins, all you have to do it split them in half, remove the seeds and stem, place them in a microwave-safe dish with about an inch of water on the bottom, cover and nuke until soft. Then scoop out the flesh, puree it and go from there as you would with a recipe that calls for canned pumpkin. Another good idea came from my co-worker Tonia Moxley, who is a great cook: try subbing butternut squash instead.
I don’t know if you all have heard the news, but we may be facing a bit of a pumpkin shortage come holiday time (L.A. Times story; Baltimore Sun article). It’s hard to believe, seeing the Halloween pumpkins stacked in front of grocery stores and spread across fields at the orchards, but it’s true — canned pumpkin is scarce right now, and when the shelves do get stocked, you might be paying upwards of an additional dollar for one can of Libby’s, the leading brand.
Apparently, it was wet weather last pumpkin season that is negatively affecting supplies of canned pumpkin this year. That’s because the canned pumpkin companies generally use surplus from the previous season to supply stores in September and October. Then, once this year’s harvest begins, they can start stocking fresh cans.
I have to wonder if this year’s harvest is going to be much better, though. At least in these parts, it seems a lot of people’s summer squash harvests were ruined by too much rain. Maybe the harder shelled winter squashes are a different story. But it seems that most of the canned pumpkin comes from out west anyway.
Has anyone had trouble finding canned pumpkin at local grocery stores lately?
October 22, 2009 - 10:36 AM
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I haven’t tried looking for canned pumpkin lately but I know that Jeter Farm in particular actually had a surplus of pumpkins. Went there this past weekend and all of their carving pumpkins were $3 because they had so many. I picked up 3 of those and a little pie pumpkin for a $1 so I can try my hand at some pumpkin pie this year.
It might be a good idea to buy pie pumpkins now if you can find them and maybe freeze or can the flesh for later use. The pies will taste better anyway.
I know my squash were all killed by the squash bugs!
Luckily, I have leftover canned pumpkin from last year. Although, my stockpile has been depleting fast since I’ve been using the Pumpkin Scone recipe from your article!
Oddly enough, I decided to make a pumpkin pie last weekend and when I arrived at our local Kroger they were ALL OUT OF CANNED PUMPKIN. Luckily they got a shipment in the following day, but I still thought it was strange given the time of year… I guess the article explains it all!
I use lots of canned pumpkin in the fall and have noticed the shortage. I shop at the Bonsack Kroger and they seem to only get a small amount in and it’s gone quickly! I’d better stock up when I see it next!
To our valued customers,
Nestlé continues to experience a national shortage again this year on all 3 Libby’s Pumpkin SKU’s due to inclement weather within the Libby’s Pumpkin growing zones.
Nestlé’s Morton, Illinois, factory, where LIBBY’S Pumpkin is grown and processed had record amounts of rain this spring which delayed pumpkin seed planting. The cool wet summer also contributed to the issue and resulted in a four week delay to growing, harvesting and production of our canned pumpkin products.
Typically, we begin each year with inventory levels that are carried over from the previous year’s production which helps supplement shipments before the next harvest and new production begins. Unfortunately due to two years in a row of inclement weather we are out of previous year’s product and must now wait exclusively for new 2009 production to support this season.
Due to this scenario we have a limited amount of inventory to begin this year’s bake season and as a result, we unfortunately need to allocate product on all 3 sku’s for the 2009 Bake Season. Your Nestlé representative will communicate your product allocations and explain the three rounds of shipping availability.
Nestlé would like to thank you for your long standing support of our Libby’s Pumpkin Brand, an American tradition and we apologize for this continued inconvenience and trust that you will understand that we are taking every means necessary to meet your needs and the needs of your consumers in time for the peak November Pumpkin Season.
Sincerely,
Mark Blasinsky, Director
Nestlé Baking Sales Division
Readers, please note: The above letter was not posted by Mr. Blasinsky himself, but by someone who obtained a copy of it. Nevertheless, I have no reason to believe that it is not factual or did not originate with the Nestle company.
To the poster: thank you for the information.