Yes I heard the same thing on news.

Well I went ahead and got some extra cans. I also use other foods like sweet potatoes and winter squash instead of pumpkin in recipes asking for pumpkins. I did grow both winter squash and pumpkins but we are eating our way through it.

I have to agree - this happens almost every year at this time - they have the cans of pumpkin but the prices are jacked up. Maybe I'm just a cynic?

With the kids out of the house, I forgot about pumpkins. I use it year round in Bisquick Impossible pie. And we love pumpkin butter on pancakes, waffles, etc. Hmmm, a great gift idea! You know I pay a premium for pumpkins in NYC but I buy them at a school fair. Profit helps the kids! I have a whole pumpkin cookbook. Ever bake a stew in one? Scoop out some pumpkin when you serve the stew. Yummo!!

Just got home from the Dollar Store. They have 15 oz. cans of Clover brand pumpkin for $1.

...but the large Libby's brand were $2.75

I paid about $2 for each can but had to buy 4 to a pack. At WM they were about $2.75. It did appear there were not many cans at WM and there have was no big display at the door.

My DD went to the pumpkin patch with the school kids. She was told the pumpkins were not very good to use for cooking, they were grown to be decorations.

I am stocked up....

Lucky here, we can still get a 15 oz can for 89 cents.

Serita

Glad to have the information. I will pick up a couple of extra cans. I have used fresh pumpkin for my pies a few times, and they are very good, but a lot of work. Since pumpkin is about 90% water, it is hard to get the excess water out. I scrape the insides of the pumpkin out, then cut into quarters, and place face down on a shallow pan and bake until tender. I scrape out the pulp and run it through the food processor, then put it in a triple layer of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. I then position fresh cheesecloth over a bowl, put the pumpkin into the cheesecloth and put in the refrigerator for several days. You would be surprised at how much water drips out of that pumpkin every day! When I feel like i have reduced the water as much as I can, I use the puree for pies just like it comes from the can. Having done this a few times, and while it is an interesting, and kind of fun process, and makes good pies, I use the canned pumpkin more often now. The commercial canners obviously have a better way of taking the water out of the pumpkin!

If it is not true then why report it on national news? LOL. I just answered my own question.

I wonder if the 'shortage' of pumpkin is old information. I see lots of it on the store shelves at present. However about 3-4 years ago there was indeed a bad crop event and none of our stores had canned pumpkin from about March until the next fall crop came in. We like crustless baked pumpkin as a low calorie healthy dessert year round.

I was in Walmart today, and happened to notice that there is not a shortage here in the Arkansas/Oklahoma area. Fortunately, I have two cans at home that were given to me. I plan to make some pumpkin bread with one. (recipe makes three loaves)