While you can make your own pumpkin puree, the easiest and most common thing to do when you need to bake a pumpkin pie (or make another dish that requires canned pumpkin) is to buy a can of pumpkin puree at the market and go from there. By and large, canned pumpkin is pretty good and is certainly both consistent and reliable – which homemade puree isn’t always. I prefer to use it when I’m developing a recipe because it gives me peace of mind to know that others will at least be starting with the same product as I am. Of course, not all canned pumpkin is created equal and Cook’s Illustrated held a taste test to see which canned squash was the best for pies. They tested Farmer’s Market Organic Canned Pumpkin, Libby’s Canned Pumpkin and One-Pie Canned Pumpkin.
Libby’s and One-Pie came in at a dead heat for first, with both having good consistencies and pumpkin flavor to them in a finished pumpkin pie. The Farmer’s Market brand didn’t come close, with testers noting an unpleasant “chalky” flavor and vegetal notes that they weren’t looking for in a pumpkin pie. It’s worth trying another brand when one you have isn’t quite delivering the result you want.
CI didn’t test too many brands, so if you have another favorite, leave a comment about it below this post so other can have a reference for what is – and what isn’t – a good canned pumpkin. I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s, which has a nice smooth consistency and a good pumpkin flavor, as well as a nice orange color (not too pale) that looks great in a finished pie slice.