leaving two for a kindred spirit in serious need

Attention all pumpkin lovers.  It is my duty to inform you that something is going on with the availability of canned pumpkin.  At least in my town.  To my credit, last night, I did NOT bite off the head of the assistant store manager when he informed me "there was a problem with the shipment", AFTER I had walked up and down every aisle in the store looking for it before I asked.  Young men apparently do not understand that giving that response to a woman looking forward to her first pumpkin baking experience of the season is on par with telling an addict in need of a fix they are "SOL".  In other words... dangerous. 

This morning, after a good nights sleep, I got up early and resumed the hunt.  I went to another store, where they had a note indicating there was a problem with their shipment to save me from walking all over and working myself into a frenzy.  AND, I did find 6 cans of a store brand right next to the empty spot for the Libby's canned pumpkin.  Because I was feeling generous, I only bought four cans.  Leaving two for a kindred spirit in serious need of pumpkin. 

Comments

[Olivia]

OH NO!!!😧 Shortage on canned pumpkin? I'm going to the grocery store first thing Saturday morning. I'll let you know the result here in Southern California!

[Betsy]

On vacation last month we went to our favorite spot to get their famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies but we couldn't find any. I asked and they said there was no pumpkin and hoped that after the harvest this fall things would get back to normal. Let's hope so!!! (Luckily I bought a bunch of cans last year when rumor had it the rainy summer had ruined the crop.) Can't be without pumpkin! I've been pinning pumpkin recipes like crazy and can't wait to try some out.

[Sharon Walworth]

I'm going to suggest another (evil?) cause of that "shortage"...........here in Rhode Island, we are encountering chain grocery stores "pushing" their store brands. Sometimes they offer a free store brand product for each well known brand; at other times, the "well known" space remains empty while the store brand space is mysteriously filled. Perhaps you should ask your local about this nasty practice? ( To be honest, I did google "pumpkin shortage" and they claim you may have to use whole pumpkins).

[Vicki in Michigan]

Sometimes a shortage like this can be seasonal -- it's awfully early for pumpkin this year. Maybe it's nearly gone from last year?

[jeanette sclar]

Teddy and I deeply appreciate your selfless actions. Teddy has developed food allergies and pumpkin treats are one of the few avenues left to us. Only this morning I used a whole can of pumpkin to make "begging bits" (really tough tiny squares of pumpkin "cookies").

[Carol]

Dear Teddy: please tell your mama to call me if she needs one of my 3 remaining cans of pumpkin. YOU, will get top priority. Even if I have to sacrifice pie, bread, or roll.

[Joan]

We give our dog a dollop of pumpkin in his kibble daily. We have no shortage of the magic stuff here.

If the situation doesn't improve in your area I hear that those small pumpkins (4-5 lbs) make excellent pumpkin pies. It's a bit early for them to appear in stores out here in the west, but maybe they're more readily available in your neck of the woods . I made pumpkin pie from the jack-o-lantern type once, but the pumpkin was very fibery, but still edible...it would be better than having no pumpkin at all. Horrors!

[Barbara]

I give my fur-boy pumpkin with his breakfast each morning to keep things moving, and when I was in the grocery here in South Florida I found the same thing. No Libby's and only 1 can of organic, which I promptly snatched up because the boy will probably not notice a difference. Keeping my fingers crossed that the shipments will be in the next time I go grocery shopping.