Why Fresh Pumpkin Is Worse Than Canned For Your Pie

If you've ever made or thought about making your own pumpkin pie, you might have been curious to see if homemade, fresh roasted pumpkin yields a superior pie to one that uses canned pumpkin. Perhaps you're of the mindset that from-scratch and fresh is always best. Or maybe you're just trying to give a second life to those leftover Halloween decorations. Either way, if you're tempted to skip the store-bought pumpkin and roast your own, you need to think twice. This is actually one case where doing things the more rustic, labor-intensive way doesn't pay off.

Though you can certainly roast your own to delicious results, using canned pumpkin guarantees the most consistent flavor and texture. When using a fresh pumpkin, you're rolling the die, so to speak. This is because canned pumpkin is subjected to quality control, which ensures only the choicest pumpkins make it into the can, and that those pumpkins are processed to just the right creamy, smooth texture. Produce picked off the vine is at the whims of mother nature, so the texture and flavor may vary from one off-the-vine pumpkin to the next, and you won't always know what you're working with until you're slicing into the finished pie. 

If you're worried about ingredients and what extras you might be getting in that can of grocery store pumpkin, in most cases, you needn't be. You can take a quick glance at the label, but in most cases, plain pumpkin is the only ingredient. Most ingredient lists don't share the specific variety of pumpkin, but it's likely a pale, oblong gourd known as a Dickinson pumpkin. As the only pumpkin used by Costco and other bakeries, the Dickinson is prized for its smooth, creamy texture, making it ideal for baking rather than carving. Compared to the labor-intensive process of roasting and pureeing your own — washing, slicing, scraping out the "guts," roasting, and peeling — this ready-to-mix puree only needs a simple crank of a can opener to be used. 

Another reason to reach for the grocery store stuff is for ease of measurement. Figuring out exactly how many fresh pumpkins you need for a pie requires math and weighing, but most recipes will just call for one or two cans. If you're attempting to bake a vegan or dairy-free pumpkin pie, leave less up to chance by using canned, as alternative diet recipes can require a delicate approach to nail the perfect firm texture. This is a time to take the shortcut, which pays off in a smooth, decadent pie.

Avoid the headache of runny, watery pie complete with stringy bits from a DIY roasted pumpkin. Instead, buy canned pumpkin and keep things simple for yourself. You can always put that time you've saved by using store-bought pumpkin toward making flaky homemade pie crust instead.