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  1. Lifestyle
  2. Health and Wellness

Relax, That Canned Pumpkin Isn't Actually Squash After All

By:
Kerry Close
2 min read
A rumor spread on the Internet that canned pumpkins were not, in fact, made with pumpkins. - Hero Images—Getty Images/Hero Images
A rumor spread on the Internet that canned pumpkins were not, in fact, made with pumpkins. Hero Images—Getty Images/Hero Images

Just as fall began last week, the Internet freaked out over a rumor that suggested the unthinkable: Many pumpkin pies may not be made with real pumpkins.

Facebook users began sharing a Food & Wine article last week that claimed that most canned pumpkin is actually a mix of various types of squash, used because they're more flavorful, Snopes reports.

As would be expected from any self-respecting lover of pumpkin pie, users took to social media over the suggestion that the pumpkin industry may have been lying to them their entire lives. As the original article pointed out:

What I’m telling you is, you’ve basically been eating butternut squash pie, squash bread, and drinking SQUASH FREAKING SPICE LATTES this entire time.

The reality, however, is that as much as 90% of pumpkin sold in the U.S. is called Dickinson pumpkin, an uglier cousin of the pumpkins you traditionally see in the patch. The Dickinson pumpkin was developed by Libby's, which makes the majority of filling used in pumpkin dishes in the U.S. Their use of the Dickinson pumpkin was well-established -- and sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration -- before last week's online scandal erupted.

Read More: Here's Why Starbucks Loves Pumpkin Spice Latte Customers So Much

However, the confusion of the online community is somewhat understandable. Botanists say it's difficult to draw the line between pumpkins and squash because there's no botanical definition for pumpkins. Still, Libby's lists the Dickinson variety as a pumpkin on its cans -- and it denies that it has ever used a blend of various squashes in its canned pumpkin products.

So with that rumor squashed (no pun intended), hopefully the Internet can relax and just enjoy their pie.

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