Posted on 11/16/2009 6:23:31 AM PST by SoonerStorm09
When word began to leak in grocery stores of the canned pumpkin shortage plaguing this holiday season, baking enthusiasts hoped the chatter was a joke.
And others, like Mike Sherrod, owner of the Pink Elephant Cafe, 301 E. Main St., couldn't stifle their amusement, exploding into full-throttle laughter when approached with the news.
Reality check: Those empty shelves aren't a mean trick or a byproduct of haphazard stocking.
This year, America is rationing its canned pumpkin.
"It's the Great Pumpkin Pie Shortage of 2009," Sherrod said between laughs. "Maybe I should have invested in pumpkin futures."
The culprit: Mother Nature.
Libby's, a component of mega food giant Nestle, typically uses surpluses from the previous year to stock store shelves during September and October, while the current year's harvest is under way.
But wet conditions during last year's growing season left suppliers without a surplus this year, said Roz O'Hearn, a spokeswoman for Nestle USA, the parent company of Libby's, which dominates almost 80 percent of the canned pumpkin market.
(Excerpt) Read more at normantranscript.com ...
OMG! First a “plague” in the Ukraine, and now a shortage of pumpkin pie? Beam me up, Scotty, I’ve had enough!
Wha? I was in Meijer yesterday and they had TONS of canned pumpkin. Not on sale (yet) but there was a huge stock.
I live in the midwest though...where water and whitetail deer are plentiful.
Jobs, on the other hand...
Its the end times, indeed.
No punkin pie?
Gloom Doom and worra worra!
We are truly lost.
redneck sez if you out of canned pumpkin, beat some canned carrots (drained) in the mixer. works just as good.
It’s time congress step in. If there is a shortage prices go up. If prices go up we need a windfall profits tax to protect the taxpayer. Maybe we need government to set the salaries.
How many more ‘headlines to assault the American psyche’?
As many as Obama’s state run fringe media, can print.
2 cans Pumpkin
1 qt cream
1 rash of bacon
4 red bliss potatoes
1 can corn
1 lb bay scollaps
much curry
Yum.
At first there was none available in the local grocery for about 6 weeks. The Publix special ordered a case for me from a wholesale grocer, but it was the large 32 oz. cans instead of the one-can-per-pie 14 oz. cans.
About two weeks ago both Publix and Kroger suddenly got crates and crates of the stuff. I'm buying extra just in case!
The dogs like pumpkin? I have a couple of medium dogs (GSD) and have never heard of this before.
Actually, 90% of canned pumpkin is not pumpkin, but squash.
Really? I just bought 4 cans. No shortage here.
Just make a yummy sweet potato pie instead.
I noticed the shortage too this summer. I feed it to our dogs too. Heaping tablespoon on top of their dry kibble. Helps with our old boy’s digestive system.
They have big appetites and get pretty frantic when they don't feel like they're getting enough to eat. A big dollop of canned pumpkin on top of their dry dog food gives them some bulk, a mildly sweet taste, and doesn't add a lot of calories. Green beans are another common filler for hungry doggies.
Mrs. Thorne wisely laid in a supply of canned pumpkin which should hold us in good stead throughout the holiday season.
You’re absolutely right - that’s another benefit. Keeps the doggie digestive system quite regular (lots of fiber). Of course, they eat so much grass you’d think they were cows, so that’s not really a problem . . . .
No shortage at Whole Foods of organic canned pumpkin!
I can’t believe there is a “nature induced” shortage. It might have more to do with the wholesale price. I was in upstate NY a few weeks ago and there were fields if unharvested “pie” pumpkins rotting on the ground un-picked. Usually that means the price is too low to be worth the effort.
Our cats love it, too. It is terrific for their digestion and our vet recommends it. We just mix a small amount of canned cat food with it and it is their favorite treat.
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