Punk’d in Pies: Smashing the Pumpkin Shortage Myth

– Lauren Van Mullem, Guest Blogger

Maple Pumpkin Tarts with Meringue

I just signed up for Blackmarket Bakery’s October 4th “Falling for Pumpkin” Desserts class – I was sold on it the second I saw “Pumpkin-ginger soufflé” on the itinerary. I love pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin-ginger scones, Chef Rachel’s pumpkin whoopie-pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ravioli… you get the idea. Last year, I heard that the pumpkin crops of America had FAILED, a catastrophe that would continue to affect pie supplies this year.

Is there a shortage, or isn’t there?

Last year, pumpkin-lovers like me stockpiled canned pumpkin. I haven’t seen the sales figures, but I’m betting the hysteria did wonders for the pumpkin-farming and canning industries. Conspiracy theories anyone?

A Pumpkin

Here’s the scoop: Eighty to 90 percent of pumpkins grown for canning come from the “Pumpkin Capital of the World,” Morton, Illinois. Last year, Morton was pounded with heavy rains, preventing the pumpkins from being harvested. They rotted in their muddy graves. In the last few years there have been late plantings and fungus infestations, compounding the problem. There really was a shortage.

Lonely Pumpkin Cans from Fall 2009

That was last year. By now, rare cans of pumpkin should be selling on Ebay for fifty-bucks a pop, right? A Washington Post article in June, 2010, reported that Libby’s had just six cans of pumpkin left in their inventory and that a two-pack of 29 oz cans were selling for $30 on Ebay (not quite up to my prediction, but close). However, if you’ve been to an Orange County grocery store recently, there they are, Libby’s canned pumpkin, stacked high on store shelves. So what changed in the last three months?

The weather.

Nestle, which owns Libby’s, tried to ward off another year of shortage by planting more acres this year. Planting season for mid-west pumpkins starts in late June, and since those seeds sprouted, Morton has had perfect weather. There was just enough sun, just enough rain, and just the right temperatures to ensure an early harvest of a bumper crop of big fat pumpkins. Pumpkin patches stretching for miles.

Consider our pie supplies safe.

Sources:

http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/daily-bread/2009/12/01/yes-there-really-pumpkin-shortage?page=full

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/01/AR2010060100801.html

http://thepacker.com/High-quality-pumpkin-crop-expected/Article.aspx?oid=1237396&fid=PACKER-CROPS-AND-MARKETS&aid=684

Coconuts: Why we don’t give a damn about their bad reputation

Courtesy of guest writer, Lauren Van Mullem…
From helping with weight loss, to ridding lice, to removing moles, curing yeast infections and acne, to being used as lotion for dry skin and a plaque-busting toothpaste – the claims of health benefits from coconut oil are many, and familiar. They sound a lot like what the old western snake oil salesmen told their clients, just before handing over a mysterious, yet prettily packaged, bottle.

But wait, wasn’t coconut oil bad for us? Didn’t it clog arteries faster than a corndog eating contest at a county fair? What happened to turn coconut oil from villain to hero? And what is the truth behind the coconut oil claims?

Coco’s Story
One version of the story goes that the rival gang of corn, soybean, and canola oils funded a smear campaign against tropical oil producers to get rid of the competition. But that’s a little too conspiracy theory for me (Pollan fans may disagree). What we do know is that coconut oil ran with a bad crowd in the 1980s: Butter, Cheese, Cream, and Palm Oil. They were the wicked Saturated Fats that had every little carbon bursting with hydrogen and every man over 50 running in fear. The oils that were being studied then were hydrogenated coconut oils instead of virgin oils, but when scientists found a correlation between saturated fat and heart disease, coconut oil and our beloved butter fell on hard times.

Nearly thirty years passed, and in that time margarine made its way onto every table, and nutrition labels swelled with all sorts of man-made concoctions. Researchers noticed that residents of a small island off of Papua New Guinea, who ate a lot of coconut calories, had very low levels of heart disease. A more recent study looked at the population in another area of the South Pacific – all devoted Coconut eaters – and found almost no incidents of stroke or heart disease. People eating ungodly amounts of saturated fats weren’t keeling over. Something was up.

Koo-koo for Coconuts
Coconut oil does have saturated fats – the same fatty acids in fact that are found in mother’s milk, which are prized for antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. But, lest you think I found all of this on Wikipedia (I didn’t), I asked Dr. Scott Saunders, a family practice medical doctor and graduate of UCLA’s medical school, to help me separate truth from hype. Full disclosure: He really likes coconut oil.

“No butter, no coconut oil. That’s what everybody heard for twenty years. But it’s the man-made Trans-fatty acids that are the real problem. Coconut oil has no trans fat; margarine however, does. Now it’s ‘don’t eat margarine.’ Natural saturated fats are good for you in moderation.”

The medium chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil stops the growth of bacteria, fungi and viruses. MCT oils actually enhance the immune system, helping to fight off bacteria, viruses, even parasites. However, Dr. Saunders warns that we shouldn’t believe everything we read.

“People extrapolate from the studies much too much. It does help with bacteria, fungi and viruses, but people think that since MCT has this effect, it should do a whole range of other things. I don’t know that studies have been done on all those claims.”