Pumpkin Pie from Libby's canned pumpkin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What on earth has happened with canned pumpkin. I'm 65 and until the last few years, there was never any grit or sand in my pies. It's not from ingredients I add to make the pies, it is in the pumpkin in the can. I scooped out a spoon of the pumpkin to "test" it and it's got grit or sand in it. And it's not just one "brand". I have tried Libby's, Festal, HyVee and ShurFine store brands, and they all have it. I can't find any other brands to try in my area and have given up. I am really surprised that more people aren't complaining about foreign material/sand in cans of pumpkin and I won't buy it anymore.

I make my own pumpkin puree in the crock pot. Halve them an scoop out the seeds. Pop them in the crock pot for a few hours. Cool and scoop out the flesh, then back in teh crockpot to draw out some water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone see that Libby's changed the recipe this year? Anyone try the new version?

How is it different? I just made one last weekend and didn’t notice anything. It was delicious. Dare I say my favorite dessert.

[Anonymous]

I have always used Festal. Tried Libby’s this week and it tastes more like squash than pumpkin. Used it for muffins.

[Anonymous]

Can we just sample a little out of the can to see if it’s gritty or not before we go to all the effort of baking it? Until this year I’ve only used canned pumpkin to make soup but this year I’ve been on a baking kick and would like to bake my own pie. That said, I use the canned pumpkin Costco sells.

[Anonymous]

I usually buy the Trader Joe’s pumpkin, but Libby’s is always the recipe I use.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't sure if the grit/sand texture was from the pumpkin pie spices I use instead of the pumpkin puree?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't sure if the grit/sand texture was from the pumpkin pie spices I use instead of the pumpkin puree?

+1 I thought it was the nutmeg so I’ve left it out the past 2 years and have had no grittiness.

[Anonymous]

If you used sweet potatoes and threw that disgusting pumpkin in the trash where it belongs, you would have no grit or sand.

[Anonymous]

I wrote to Libbys last year and complained about the grit.
Their reply:
"We use multiple washing systems but, like lettuce, some tiny grit or sand can make it through our washing process. We are consistently monitoring our processes from harvest to can to reduce and/or eliminate gritty pumpkin."

Still no improvement.

[Anonymous]

Never had a gritty can of Libby’s pumpkin in the 30 years I’ve used it. Maybe it was a regional issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pumpkins made in China.

So this one time . . . . about ten years ago . . . . I was at the grocery store looking for canned pumpkin because it was that time of year. There was hardly any. I asked the employee what was up with that and this is what he told me:

80 percent of the pumpkins grown in the USA are grown in Texas. And the canned pumpkin you are at the grocery store buying in November is from p[umpkins that were grown the year before. And the reason for the canned pumpkin shortage that year was because there had been a big hurricane that hit Texas the previous year and wiped out much of the pumpkin crop for the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pumpkins made in China.

So this one time . . . . about ten years ago . . . . I was at the grocery store looking for canned pumpkin because it was that time of year. There was hardly any. I asked the employee what was up with that and this is what he told me:

80 percent of the pumpkins grown in the USA are grown in Texas. And the canned pumpkin you are at the grocery store buying in November is from p[umpkins that were grown the year before. And the reason for the canned pumpkin shortage that year was because there had been a big hurricane that hit Texas the previous year and wiped out much of the pumpkin crop for the year.

You sure you were at the grocery store when you heard that and not at band camp?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a homemade anti-preservative freak; BUT the Costco pumpkin pie is AMAZING - preservatives and all. I can't find a natural pumpkin pie I like as much.

+1 I used to love Costco pies when I could still eat gluten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone see that Libby's changed the recipe this year? Anyone try the new version?

How is it different? I just made one last weekend and didn’t notice anything. It was delicious. Dare I say my favorite dessert.

It uses condensed milk instead of sugar. I tried the new recipe, and prefer it to the old one.

[Anonymous]

Feb 2021 Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin... made pumpkin bread and still gritty. Definitely not the first time it’s happened. I’m sure they could fix the problem if they wanted to.