Where the heck do you get canned pumpkin?

[MikeyLXT]

I have been to several grocery stores trying to find canned pumpkin and all i get is "we don't carry it in the off-season."

Where can I find this stuff in the off season? If I cant find it then i suppose my pumpkin beer will just have to wait. I am not ordering an entire case online.

 

[lastsecondapex]

It will be very difficult to find until September. Online may be the best option

 

[bferullo]

crazy idea.....but some pet supply stores (small ones not the big chains). The ones by us carry cans of organic pumpkin. the ingredients are just "pumpkin" no spices or preservatives or such. Its not even a "pet product", just so happens to be in the pet stores. A lot of vets recommend it when your dog is having stomach issues.

 

[GeoGirl]

Safeway didn't have it? They used to always carry Libby's. Generally on the bottom shelf in the baking aisle. And in off season, usually only the small cans.

 

[g-star]

I bought my 2 cans last fall for this very reason. Brewing my pumpkin ale next weekend. :rockin:

 

[unionrdr]

Giant Eagle does too. You could try Super Wally World as well.

 

[Pappers_]

Safeway didn't have it? They used to always carry Libby's. Generally on the bottom shelf in the baking aisle. And in off season, usually only the small cans.

Yes, I just bought some at our local Jewel.

 

[Mpavlik22]

I just got 4 cans at Wally world. In the baking section.

 

[Revvy]

Yes, look at the bottom shelves....There is usually some even in the height of summer in larger grocery stores, but they rotate it down to the bottom shelves in the off season. A small grocery store with limited space, no...but a mega box store, even wally world, you should find a few cans down below.

 

[MikeyLXT]

I suppose ill make a run by Wally World on my way home from work.

I struck out at 2 Safeways and a Giant.

 

[bferullo]

I suppose ill make a run by Wally World on my way home from work.

I struck out at 2 Safeways and a Giant.

I see you live in Maryland. I don't know how far arnold is from Canton or Mt Washington, but the pet store DOGMA carries organic pumpkin year round.

 

[MikeyLXT]

I see you live in Maryland. I don't know how far arnold is from Canton or Mt Washington, but the pet store DOGMA carries organic pumpkin year round.

I work next to Patterson Park in Baltimore. Maybe ill go check out DOGMA.

 

[onipar]

What I noticed when I went on my pumpkin search last week (just made my Pumpkin Ale on Sunday) was that most supermarkets will be out of the regular pumpkin, and only have pumpkin pie mix left (which of course we don't want to use).

I ended up finding organic pumpkin at my Weis (Mr. Z.'s) supermarket.

The only other place I could find it was at my local health food store. If you have any small health food shops around, I'll bet they have the organic cans. It costs a *lot* more than Libby's, but when it's the only choice, what can ya do.

If you absolutely can't find it anywhere, I've heard people use yams or sweet potatoes to good effect. Also, I once read that the best pumpkin pie you'll ever make should be made from butternut squash (because it's a similar taste, only better), and I know there's at least one beer recipe here using it.

Good luck!

 

[SarahMatt]

I picked up a couple cans at Super Target. They didn't have the pie kind, just plain pumpkin.
Off Topic: She still has a little way to go in primary, but I had a sample yesterday....have to say I'm excited for Fall!!!

 

[onipar]

I picked up a couple cans at Super Target. They didn't have the pie kind, just plain pumpkin.
Off Topic: She still has a little way to go in primary, but I had a sample yesterday....have to say I'm excited for Fall!!!

Which recipe did you use? (sorry, off-topic) I'm *always* excited for fall, but even more so this year, having my pumpkin ale and graff on tap.

 

[Brewsncrabs]

I can get it for you. My local grocer usually has a couple of cans. I am in Lancaster, PA. I keep it on hand for when one of my Labradors eats something they cant poop. I feed it to them and it acts like a lubricant. Let me know if you want me to look if they have it. It cant cost that much to mail it to you.

 

[j1laskey]

I bought my 2 cans last fall for this very reason. Brewing my pumpkin ale next weekend. :rockin:

Ditto

 

[BrewThruYou]

My LHBS has giant cans of it. Maybe like 48 or 60 oz cans.

 

[milldoggy]

Resturant supply store, 7 lbs in a 10# can for 7.99

 

[macsyrinx]

Yes, look at the bottom shelves....There is usually some even in the height of summer in larger grocery stores, but they rotate it down to the bottom shelves in the off season. A small grocery store with limited space, no...but a mega box store, even wally world, you should find a few cans down below.

+1

Just found 2 cans on their side, behind the pumpkin pie cans on the bottom shelf in the baking aisle of our Albertson's. Expire date showed 2013, so I bought them both. Tough luck to person after me, though

 

[cwyeary]

My local wal-mart hasn't had pumpkin since January.

 

[Mpavlik22]

My local wal-mart hasn't had pumpkin since January.

Did u check the bottom shelf of the baking isle? My Walmart has it year round in the baking section.

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

Had the same problem. I brought some on Amazon through Vitacost. Organic pumpkin for $1.49 a can. Have my first punkin brew fermenting right now.

 

[AR-Josh]

I'm going to start buying extra every year from now on so I won't be short come time to make my pumpkin ale.

 

[onipar]

I'm going to start buying extra every year from now on so I won't be short come time to make my pumpkin ale.

This is the way to go. Then you don't have to be at the mercy of the stores and whether or not they sell out. Even at the places that have cans left, it's not new inventory, just left over. I asked at most the stores I checked and they all said it is a seasonal item that they either have or don't.

Another thing you can do (something I've done in the past to have fresh puree for Thanksgiving) is bake extra fresh pie pumpkins in early fall, then freeze the puree in freezer bags. If you do this, make sure to drain the pumpkin over night in cheesecloth first, so it isn't watery.

 

[ENS]

They have pumpkin in the stores here in York, PA. I found quite a bit at the Giant on East Market Street.

 

[SarahMatt]

Which recipe did you use? (sorry, off-topic) I'm *always* excited for fall, but even more so this year, having my pumpkin ale and graff on tap.

I based my recipe loosely on the Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head. I made a Pumpkin Spice syrup (similar to what you would get at Starbucks) for my primary.

10# 2 row
1# Crystal 60
1# Victory
1.5 (1+what I had left over from making the syrup) cans of pumpkin
Centennial @60
Tettnang @15

Wyeast 1056

Into primary on top of syrup.

 

[onipar]

I based my recipe loosely on the Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head. I made a Pumpkin Spice syrup (similar to what you would get at Starbucks) for my primary.

10# 2 row
1# Crystal 60
1# Victory
1.5 (1+what I had left over from making the syrup) cans of pumpkin
Centennial @60
Tettnang @15

Wyeast 1056

Into primary on top of syrup.

Oh, that syrup step sounds really interesting! I tried doing a bunch of different things with my pumpkin ale, but your syrup idea takes the cake. :rockin:

Care to share how you made the syrup? I'm wondering if you simply mixed pumpkin puree and spices to put into the primary, or if you did something like add the puree and spices to water, cooked, strained, then cooked the liquid down to a proper flavored syrup?

Either way, very inventive. I'm jealous.

 

[milldoggy]

This is the best place to find it.
http://www.therestaurantstore.com/100-percent-Pure-Canned-Pumpkin-10-Can/999PUMPKIN.html

 

[kenpotf]

I just bought some a couple of weeks ago at Target of all places. They had the 29 oz. cans, so I got 3 of them. I couldn't find them at any grocery store though. The Target that I went to was a Super Target (with grocery store) if you have any of those around.

 

[PHillBrewCo]

Think I'll be hunting for some cans in S. Jersey soon.. I'm thinking Whole Foods for organic canned pumpkin, or maybe Wegman's... Maybe Trader Joe's

 

[SarahMatt]

Oh, that syrup step sounds really interesting! I tried doing a bunch of different things with my pumpkin ale, but your syrup idea takes the cake. :rockin:

Care to share how you made the syrup? I'm wondering if you simply mixed pumpkin puree and spices to put into the primary, or if you did something like add the puree and spices to water, cooked, strained, then cooked the liquid down to a proper flavored syrup?

Either way, very inventive. I'm jealous.

Honestly, I first thought of using the actual Starbucks syrup (more sugar, etc). I did find some on eBay for $110!!! So, I decided to make my own:

1.25 Cups water
1.25 Cups Sugar
2 Tbl. ground cinnamon
.5 tsp. cloves
.5 tsp. ginger
.5 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbl. Pumpkin Puree

Simmer the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the spices and pumpkin, simmer for 6-8 more miuntes.
Its pretty good in coffee, but I'd add less cinnamon and more pumpkin. I used it "as is" for my Pumpkin Ale.
Hope you enjoy it!!!
Sarah.

 

[rodisian]

+1 for sweet potato as a substitute.

I just made a thunderstruck ale variant and couldn't find any canned pumpkin either (well, I did at Whole Foods, but I'm too frugal to use organic pumpkin!), so I used Sweet Potato: cubed it, boiled it with my mash out/infusion water, and then mashed it. (I also roasted a bit in my toaster oven, just so I had all my boil/mash/roast bases covered)

I was a bit worried, but cracked open a test bottle yesterday and it is fantastic! The spices are the main attraction but there's also a subtle "squashiness"

 

[onipar]

Honestly, I first thought of using the actual Starbucks syrup (more sugar, etc). I did find some on eBay for $110!!! So, I decided to make my own:

1.25 Cups water
1.25 Cups Sugar
2 Tbl. ground cinnamon
.5 tsp. cloves
.5 tsp. ginger
.5 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbl. Pumpkin Puree

Simmer the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the spices and pumpkin, simmer for 6-8 more miuntes.
Its pretty good in coffee, but I'd add less cinnamon and more pumpkin. I used it "as is" for my Pumpkin Ale.
Hope you enjoy it!!!
Sarah.

Very cool! It's definitely an interesting way to go about getting those flavors into the primary. You know what might be a neat experiment too is making a similar syrup to use for bottle priming. I'd probably try something like a vanilla bean/pumpkin syrup for that though, since spices might be too strong at that point. I'd also probably use pumpkin juice so there'd be no solids.

Hmmm...maybe something to toy around with for my next year's batch. :rockin:

 

[PHillBrewCo]

+1 for sweet potato as a substitute.

I just made a thunderstruck ale variant and couldn't find any canned pumpkin either (well, I did at Whole Foods, but I'm too frugal to use organic pumpkin!), so I used Sweet Potato: cubed it, boiled it with my mash out/infusion water, and then mashed it. (I also roasted a bit in my toaster oven, just so I had all my boil/mash/roast bases covered)

I was a bit worried, but cracked open a test bottle yesterday and it is fantastic! The spices are the main attraction but there's also a subtle "squashiness"

I think Butternut Squash would work too

 

[drkaeppel]

I ran into the exact same problem yesterday. Called about six different grocery stores with zero luck. Since I already bought the grains for my pumpkin ale, I just left out the pumkin, spices, and molasses, added some honey and called it a honey-blonde ale. It's fermenting away vigorously...should be a nice, light ale for the end of summer.

I'll be taking another shot at the pumpkin ale next month!

 

[KCBigDog]

Anyone have a great pumpkin ale recipe to share?

 

[SLBrooks]

If you have a latin american market near you, you should be able to find it.... it makes pretty good mole.

hmmm a sweet potato pie beer..... collard greens, fried chicken... ill be doing that in a couple months

 

[Beezy]

What I noticed when I went on my pumpkin search last week (just made my Pumpkin Ale on Sunday) was that most supermarkets will be out of the regular pumpkin, and only have pumpkin pie mix left (which of course we don't want to use).

I ended up finding organic pumpkin at my Weis (Mr. Z.'s) supermarket.

The only other place I could find it was at my local health food store. If you have any small health food shops around, I'll bet they have the organic cans. It costs a *lot* more than Libby's, but when it's the only choice, what can ya do.

If you absolutely can't find it anywhere, I've heard people use yams or sweet potatoes to good effect. Also, I once read that the best pumpkin pie you'll ever make should be made from butternut squash (because it's a similar taste, only better), and I know there's at least one beer recipe here using it.

Good luck!

Yes! I had butternut squash last night. I love it. I am defo doing butternut squash pie and the beer sounds good too.

 

[onipar]

Anyone have a great pumpkin ale recipe to share?

There are a bunch of pumpkin ale recipes in the database: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/

Mine is "Moon Hill Pumpkin Ale" (partial mash), but I honestly don't know yet if it's any good because it's a new recipe that I have only brewed once so far, and it's still in primary.

There are a lot of favorites in the database though, including Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale, Samhain Pumpkin Ale, and the Punkin' Ale Clone.

Lots to choose from.

Beezy, yeah, I might eventually try with butternut squash too, but I'm a bit OCD about it, and I like knowing it's actually pumpkin in there. I know, I'm weird.