Canned pumpkin is a convenient ingredient that can save lots of time and effort when making a recipe, but the pumpkin section of the canned goods aisle can be a little confusing. While the labels look almost identical, there are some differences between pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree.
Pumpkin Puree
Commonly called for in pumpkin recipes, puree is the cooked and mashed flesh of any number of different varieties of squash—yes, squash. There are soft-skinned summer squash, like zucchini and yellow squash, and there are hard-skinned winter varieties like acorn squash, butternut squash, and the various orange ones we lump together as pumpkins.
Canned pumpkin puree is a blend of winter squashes, some of them proprietary (such as the Dickinson squash, which is owned by the Libby's brand). The one type of squash you won't find in a can is the standard field pumpkin that's used for making Halloween jack-o'-lanterns. While edible, this type of squash isn't particularly good for eating no matter how it's cooked or pureed.
Pumpkin puree can be labeled as 100% pure pumpkin, pumpkin puree, solid pack pumpkin, or simply "pumpkin." Regardless of what it's called, one thing pumpkin puree won't contain is any sort of seasonings or sugar—it's just cooked and mashed squash. Most recipes call for pumpkin puree and also call for adding seasonings to flavor the dish.
Pumpkin puree can be used to make pies, cakes, muffins, breads, soups, and much more. You can also make your own puree at home.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Pumpkin pie filling is a mixture of cooked, mashed winter squash that is blended with sweetener and spices. It's a convenient ingredient to use if you're planning to make a pumpkin pie and you're short on time. Instead of measuring sugar and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, the pie filling is already preseasoned and ready to go.
While pumpkin pie filling is a time-saver, it's also not as customizable as pumpkin puree. You may find a brand too sweet for your taste or too heavy on a spice. Cooking with plain pumpkin puree allows you to adjust the seasonings to your liking.
What to Do If You Buy the Wrong Kind
Because both products come in cans and both have the word "pumpkin" on the label, it's possible to buy the wrong kind by accident.
If you meant to purchase pumpkin pie filling but accidentally grabbed a can of plain pumpkin, it's easy to sweeten and season the puree. Follow a good pumpkin pie recipe (there's usually a recipe printed right on the label) and add sugar and spices to the puree along with other ingredients like eggs before baking.
If you erred in the opposite direction—you bought pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree—you may want to return to the store for an exchange. Pumpkin pie filling shouldn't be used in place of pumpkin puree since the finished dish will be too sweet. You can always set the can aside to make a quick pumpkin pie another day.
They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.
Although they both come in cans and the packaging looks almost identical, they can't be used interchangeably. Pumpkin puree doesn't have anything added to it, but pumpkin pie filling comes with pumpkin spice and sugar already mixed in.
Pumpkin pie mix can be used as a substitute for pure canned pumpkin in some recipes. However, since it is already sweetened and flavored, you'll need to make some adjustments. In most dessert recipes, leave out the pumpkin pie spice and cut down on the sugar since the pumpkin pie mix includes it.
Pumpkin pie filling is a mixture of cooked, mashed winter squash that is blended with sweetener and spices. It's a convenient ingredient to use if you're planning to make a pumpkin pie and you're short on time.
Pumpkin purée is simply cooked and mashed pumpkin.
Pumpkin purée can be homemade with whole pumpkin or canned and sold in grocery stores. Canned pumpkin purée that says “100% pumpkin” on the label may also contain one or more types of winter squash, like butternut, Hubbard, Boston Marrow, and Golden Delicious.
These ingredients, in these amounts, are interchangeable in most recipes to achieve the same texture and most similar flavor. For 1 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, substitute 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or butternut squash.
You may have heard that the purée in your canned pumpkin isn't the gourd you think it is. No matter, it still makes a delicious Thanksgiving pie. For our latest taste test, we tried nine varieties of canned pumpkin and determined the best for pie to be what America has trusted for years: Libby's.
Not only does pumpkin purée act as a sweetener, a creamy moisturizer, and a fat substitute in everything from muffins to soup — but it also tastes delicious in everything!
Fresh: Squashy/pumpkiny, subtle almost herbaceous flavor. Regular Canned: Deep, slightly intense unique flavor. Organic Canned: More similar to the fresh stuff than the regular canned, but with more flavor than homemade.
You can use either arrowroot powder (also sold as arrowroot flour) or cornstarch to thicken your pumpkin pie filling as it bakes. I think that arrowroot creates a slightly creamier finished pie filling, but the difference between the thickeners isn't huge.
Pumpkin: Of course, you'll need a can of Libby's pure pumpkin. Evaporated milk: A can of evaporated milk lends richness and helps thicken the pie filling.
Libby's, the quintessential canned pumpkin brand, uses a proprietary strain of the Dickinson pumpkin variety in their product, which is also often called a Dickinson squash. On Libby's website, it states that their product is 100 percent pumpkin.
If you open up a pumpkin, you would see all kinds of different things inside. Some people call all this gooey stuff the pumpkin's “brains” or its “guts.” Lydia Tymon. There's the meaty orange flesh, sticky pulp, lots of seeds, and, of course, all those little strings.
Pumpkin pie filling will be labeled as pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin pie filling. Ingredients - Pumpkin puree made from scratch contains only pumpkin, but canned puree may contain a preservative like salt. Pumpkin pie filling contains additional ingredients like sugar, spices, and thickeners.
Pumpkin puree is made by steaming and pureeing squash so there are no added ingredients. Is canned pumpkin cooked? Yes, it's already been cooked via steaming. It's safe to eat canned pumpkin straight from the can, but it's infinitely better baked into a pan of pumpkin bars.
Certain heirloom and unique pumpkins, for instance, could contain flesh that is tinted yellow or another hue. Accordingly, the flesh of a pumpkin may be orange, yellow, or even a different hue depending on the variety.
It is essential that you differentiate between pumpkin pie filling and canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has added fat, sugar, and spices like cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Some of these spices can be toxic to your dog.
Pumpkin spice is usually made from an assortment of spices. That being said, you can add ingredients such as pumpkin puree to your pumpkin spice mixture. The flavors of a pumpkin spice mix not only enhance the flavor of pumpkin but also that of other vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash.
What is Pumpkin Puree? It is the roasted and blended flesh of the pumpkin, with the skin and seeds removed. Fresh pumpkin puree will be a very different color, texture, and flavor, compared to canned pumpkin.
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