You may have seen some rumblings online recently about a possible canned pumpkin puree shortage. Maybe you've even had trouble finding the stuff yourself. Although it's easy to freak out given the recent disruptions in the food supply amid COVID-19 and the fact that without pumpkin puree you can't make some of your favorite dishes (um, pumpkin pie!!!) this fall, but we're here to tell you it's all going to be fine.
Libby's Pumpkin issued a statement to customers in a post on Instagram last week after apparently hearing from some folks about the canned pumpkin availability in their area. They explained that their harvest was a little delayed this year, but that timing is key when picking great pumpkins, so it's going to be worth the (slight!) wait.
They followed it up with the good news that any places seeing a shortage should see a fuller supply soon. "We're excited to report that this season's pumpkin will be on shelves starting in mid-October—a little later than we wanted but in plenty of time for the holiday," their post read in part.
Furthermore, experts told AllRecipes that there is indeed no pumpkin shortage expected this year and that the crop and supply is actually looking very normal. They explained that there was likely a "rain delay" when it came time to plant these pumpkins. Furthermore, any short supply of canned pumpkin in stores at this moment might also be because we're all still stress baking and making fall treats earlier than normal.
So there you have it! You might have to wait a little longer to make pumpkin cookies this year or to work on perfecting your pumpkin bread, but once it's here, it'll taste even sweeter.
