Canned Pumpkin Shortage-Need Replacement

[dcmclcm4]

I feed canned pumpkin to a few of my dogs and now I am unable to find the canned pumpkin in the stores. Is anyone else having this problem? I read that it is due to a wet growing season last year and there will not be anymore until this coming Fall. Is there something else I can use instead of it, perhaps sweet potatoes or another vegetable?

[nobarkus]

We have it here in CA no problem. Cook up some yams or sweet potatoes.

[Shannanigan]

The extremely frosty winter ruined some pumpkin farms, so yes, expect a shortage this year. I have no idea what to use instead of it, though.

[basenji_fan]

@nobarkus:

We have it here in CA no problem. Cook up some yams or sweet potatoes.

Dito that. The sweet potato or yams will do the same thing. I would avoid getting the canned stuff from the store as it will have added sugar but you can cook them at home very easy and store them in the fridge really easy. You can just bake them in the oven just as a regular spud. and then store them in a air tight container in the fridge for several days. Sweet potatoes you can even cook in the microwave. Just pierce them with a fork a few times.

Microwave Sweet Potatoes: For best results, choose uniform size sweet potatoes. Pierce washed sweet potatoes with a fork. Place on paper towel on shelf of microwave oven 1 inch apart. Turn sweet potatoes over and rearrange after half of cooking time. Cook on HIGH power level. Cooking time will vary, depending on the number of sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes Minutes
1 4 to 6
2 6 to 8
3 8 to 12
4 12 to 16
5 16 to 2

You can even make a few a head of time and then freeze them (skins left on) and then thaw them out for when you need them.

[dcmclcm4]

There is no pumpkin available in any of the regular stores in my area. Just for a laugh I looked on E-Bay and there are people selling it by the can for $6.00 and higher. Of course, the shipping cost is outrageous! People will sell anything to make an extra buck and this is probably why there is none in my area as people are hoarding it.

[imbj]

You may want to check the (big chain) asian/oriental grocery store in your area.

For example, in our area, we go to 99 Ranch Market. They carry both the 15oz and 30oz canned pumpkin. It may not be located in the regular grocery aisle that you'd expect it to be so you may want to bring an empty can (with the label on it), show it to the store clerk, ask if they have it, and exactly which aisle it is on.

The canned pumpkin at this asian/oriental grocery is also a lot cheaper. For the 15oz, it's around $1.80 (at Safeway/Lucky stores, it's usually over $2.00). On a couple of occassions, they were on sale for $1.25! Since we don't usually shop here, we get a bunch (like 6 or so cans) to stock up.

Hope this helps.

[Kipawa]

Has anyone tried the other varieties of squash for their basenjis? Butternut, Spaghetti and Acorn come to mind.

[Alex]

We have tried organic butternut squash when Kiya had an upset stomach. I think it helped a bit.

[dcmclcm4]

Canned Pumpkin was available this past weekend at my local Kroger store. There were only 3 large cans left and I bought one. I have been using baby food in a jar-squash, squash and zucchini, and sweet potatoes. If I ever travel with the dogs, the baby food jars are much more convenient.

Jennifer

[listeme]

Sweet potato works here – although I don't think it works QUITE as well as pumpkin. We scrounged four organic cans a few weeks ago, and we're really hoping our plants fruit before frost. It's Virginia; we have a chance We planted about eight plants and they have huge flowers right now.

[Kipawa]

I shake my head when I hear about a pumpkin shortage. In my area, every year, no matter what the weather, so many are left just to rot in the fields. Surely there must be a better way to work with the crop so things like shortages don't occur. I would also expect that at this time of the year (near Hallowe'en) people are buying quite a bit of it to use in pies. Regarding the eBay comment, I believe it. Supply and demand.

[dcmclcm4]

Last year it was because of all the rain in IL where the majority of the Pumpkin is grown. They could not even harvest them because the equipment got stuck in the mud and there were lakes where none were before. I am hoping this year is much better.

I finally found an article about this year's crop!

http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2010/09/canned_pumpkin_should_be_plent.html

In Ohio, we have had a shortage of rain and are in drought conditions. I am in SW Ohio.

Jennifer

[Shaye's Mom]

Sweet potato will work when you can't get pumpkin - I bake them in the microwave whole, let them cool just a little so they aren't too hot for the girls, then cut them up - they think they are in heaven, and they love them skins and all. Sometimes when we go to restaurants that serve them, I get an extra one to go, just because.

On this same strain, I read a book called "Water for Elephants" last week. In that book, a circus vet advised a dwarf who had a jack russell terrier with diahrrea to give the dog a teaspoon or so of honey, and it cleared it right up - has anyone heard of that before? Sure would be a great tip, if it is accurate, since most of us have honey in our pantries.

[debbi j.]

@dcmclcm4:

I feed canned pumpkin to a few of my dogs and now I am unable to find the canned pumpkin in the stores. Is anyone else having this problem? I read that it is due to a wet growing season last year and there will not be anymore until this coming Fall. Is there something else I can use instead of it, perhaps sweet potatoes or another vegetable?

I tried going to different grocery stores once my regular store ran out of pumpkin and told me they wouldn't be getting any more until Thanksgiving season rolls around. I have found it at other stores and bought in great quantity. You could also try Target and Walmart if they carry groceries.

Debbi J.

[tanza]

@debbi:

I tried going to different grocery stores once my regular store ran out of pumpkin and told me they wouldn't be getting any more until Thanksgiving season rolls around. I have found it at other stores and bought in great quantity. You could also try Target and Walmart if they carry groceries.

Debbi J.

Wow find that hard to believe… our store out here have canned pumpkin year round? Of course fresh like sweet potato is a better choice then canned anything