Dr Oz DIY Homemade Canned Pumpkin Recipe & What’s In The Cans?

Dr Oz: Justin Hartley ‘This Is Us’

Everyone has been talking about the show This Is Us and its star Justin Hartley, almost as much as much they’re talking about rumors that there’s no pumpkin in canned pumpkin. Justin shared that no matter what walk of life you come from, there’s a story you can relate to on his show, which he loves. Dr Oz put Justin on the spot when he asked to see his abs. Although he was too shy to show them off, he shared that his secrets are more of the obvious things like diet and hard work in the gym. Probably the most important thing he does is stretch, because he believes it keeps him strong.

Dr Oz: Is There Pumpkin In Canned Pumpkin?

Unfortunately, once you get over the disappointment of not seeing Justin’s abs, you’ll be hit with a shocking rumor: is there really no pumpkin in canned pumpkin? Even Justin admitted he heard that there was no pumpkin in canned pumpkin. Dr Oz wanted to set the record straight, so he asked the nation’s largest pumpkin farm, Frey Farms in Keenes, Illinois.

Sara, a farmer at Frey Farms, first wanted to clarify the difference between a pumpkin and squash. She explained that while you may be buying canned pumpkin, many times there are other types of squash mixed into the canned pumpkin. But it’s all from the same family and the USDA “loosely defines” the meaning of squash and/or pumpkin. The type that usually goes into a can is the Dickinson pumpkin.

It turns out that pumpkin is a culinary term, not a scientific term. The pumpkins we know and love are actually squash. So basically, yes the canned pumpkin you buy and use does actually contain real pumpkin! But how does it taste?

Dr Oz: Pumpkin & Squash Taste Test

Dr Oz welcomed Dolly and Emily from the audience, to taste-test squash, canned pumpkin, and sugar pumpkin to see if they could tell which was the real pumpkin. They all thought the canned pumpkin was it, but it turns out all three were technically pumpkin. When Dr Oz compared the nutrition of the seven top brands of pumpkin, he found that they were all about 45 calories per half a cup, had four grams of fiber, and were high in vitamin A. When shopping for canned pumpkin, just make sure the ingredient list has just one ingredient: pumpkin.

Dr Oz: Homemade Pumpkin Puree

To make homemade pumpkin puree, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to look for a sugar pumpkin. Once you have your sugar pumpkin, follow the directions below to make homemade pumpkin puree:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice off the top of the pumpkin
3. Slice it in half
4. Scoop all the seeds and strings out
5. Lie the pumpkin halves skin side-up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
6. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until fork tender
7. Remove the skin from the flesh then slice the cooked pumpkin into chunks so that it fits into the food processor
8. Puree until smooth!