Is Canned Pumpkin Really Squash, Not Pumpkin? - JPKee.com
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Whether you’re baking a pie or trying these 11 other creative ways to use pumpkin puree, you can be sure you’re loading up on everyone’s favorite fall flavor… right? The thing is, some are claiming pumpkin puree is really not pumpkin at all.
Some angry chefs and foodies have been complaining that canned pumpkin is false advertising—the puree inside is actually a different squash. After all, the FDA is pretty loose about the foods it allows to be marketed as “pumpkin.” The agency will allow companies to call their purees “pumpkin” as long as it’s a mix of Cucurbita pepo (field pumpkins) or its close cousins Cucurbita maxima (sweet squashes such as Acorn, Kabocha, and Hubbard). Some distributors will even mix pumpkin and squash to get the right consistency.
Case in point: Libby’s, which produces 85 percent of the world’s canned pumpkin, has come under fire for cultivating its own type of squash. Some argue the company is misleading buyers by bragging it sells “100% pure” pumpkin when it doesn’t actually use the pie pumpkins or carving pumpkins you’d find in stores.
The thing is, it isn’t that simple.
Botanically and legally speaking, there’s no real difference between a pumpkin and a squash. It really just comes down to what sounds appetizing. “If I eat it with dinner, it’s squash; if it’s for dessert, it’s a pumpkin,” says John Ackerman, owner of Libby’s supplier Ackerman Family Farm. As for the “squash” Libby’s uses, it’s a variety of Dickinson pumpkin. Yes, pumpkin.
Admittedly, the Dickinsons that Libby’s uses aren’t as pretty as your typical pumpkin. Their skin is tan or beige, and their shape is more oblong than the round ones you hunt down for a Jack-o’-lantern (using these 31 free pumpkin carving stencils, of course). They might look like ugly pumpkins, but they look like pumpkins nonetheless. “It’s lightly ribbed and has a stem on it,” says Ackerman. “Looking at that Dickinson pumpkin, you would call it a pumpkin.”
Libby’s isn’t hiding what’s in their cans at all—it even has a full informational video showing off its ugly pumpkins. (Find out how to preserve your carved pumpkin so it looks pretty for weeks.)
The canned pumpkin you’ll find has been cultivated to have a less stringy texture than the original Dickinsons it came from, but that doesn’t make it any less of a pumpkin. Instead of using high-tech GMOs, says Ackerman, plant breeders hand-pollinated Dickinson pumpkins to get the best flavor—sort of like how the carving pumpkins in your patch have been cultivated for their shape.
Don’t let the Dickinson pumpkins’ looks turn you off, either. Ackerman’s farm raises more than 160 other varieties of pumpkins for visitors to take home. Some of those are orange, but others are white, red, or even blue. Still, you probably won’t get compliments on the “pretty white squash” in your autumn decor.
Bottom line? Instead of stressing about whether the squash in your puree would have made a nice Jack-o’-lantern, might as well just enjoy your pie. We recommend these 10 healthy pumpkin spice treats that aren’t lattes.
[Source: Food & Wine]
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Author - Vikash Kumar
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