On 11/25/2011 9:26 AM, Jean B. wrote:
> Out of fairness to Libby's, I feel I should make this post. Some years
> ago, I am pretty sure I posted here about using Libby's canned pumpkin
> as vs. my usual beloved One Pie Pumpkin. I was appalled to see how runny
> the Libby's pumpkin was compared to the One Pie that I always used. I
> now have a stockpile of One Pie Pumpkin and must assume that the oldest
> cans were from later in the same season that I bought the Libby's
> product. MUCH to my dismay, the pumpkin in that can (packed in 2008) was
> very watery! I was most negatively surprised. (I compensated by cutting
> back on the liquid in the pie and adding more of the (also watery) sweet
> potato puree that I had started using to compensate for the missing
> ounce of pumpkin. BUT, because of my cold and inability to taste and
> smell things, I have no idea how the pie came out. It did seem a bit
> less solid when I cut it, but that may have merely been my imagination.
>
> I also will mention that I was looking at the One Pie label and saw
> there was cornstarch in the product. I am wondering when that came to
> pass. Does anyone have really old cans to look at? Also I could swear
> that the older (pre-1998) labels stated "solid pack". The labels on all
> of my cans lack that designation. I guess I'm going to have to cook the
> primary ingredient myself the next time.

Your cans sound like they could be past their prime. I've used old cans
of pumpkin and they had a darker color and a dusty, moldy, taste. That
was a bad pie. When you get over your cold, you might want to open a can
and taste it.

My latest idea is that you could add cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, to a
custard pie and make mock pumpkin pie. Heck, throw in a little mace and
vanilla too.