Many people look forward to fall, in part, because of their love for everything pumpkin. But, Emma Crist at Food and Wine revealed some shocking news that even she wasn’t aware of.
Canned pumpkin is not pumpkin – at all! Instead it is made from a mix of winter squash. We are not drinking pumpkin spice lattes or eating pumpkin pie. This is all winter squash!
Libby’s, the brand that produces about 85% of the country’s canned “pumpkin” filling, has actually developed a certain variety of squash that they grow, package, and distribute to supermarkets across the country–all the while fooling innocent, trusting consumers into believing they’re eating a pumpkin.
As it turns out, pumpkins can be fairly stringy and watery; certain varieties of winter squash make a richer, sweeter puree that works way better for packing the now-ambiguous flavor we all love into our favorite fall dishes. Additionally, the USDA is fairly lenient with gourd terminology in general, which is why it’s perfectly legal to label a food product as “pumpkin” when, in reality, it’s made from a different variety of squash. So it’s all good now that there’s an explanation, right? NO. It’s not.
Most people likely won’t care as they just love the taste. After you shake off the hostility about being deceived, if you’d like to make a pumpkin icebox pie, you can get a recipe in the video below.
I’m on my way to Dunkin’ Donuts to get a Squash Spice Latte. Cheers!
H/T: Food and Wine
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