My grandma's stew recipe got weird with canned pumpkin

I tried swapping tomato paste for canned pumpkin in her beef stew last Tuesday since I was out and had a half can left. It came out sweet and kinda orange, not terrible but definitely not what I remembered from her kitchen in Ohio. I learned you can't just swap flavors like that unless you add extra chili powder and a splash of vinegar. Has anyone else tried a weird pantry swap that backfired on a family recipe?

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1 Comment

seanjackson19d ago

Tough break, but at least you tried something instead of just giving up on dinner. Canned pumpkin is a sneaky one, it brings all that sugar and moisture with it, so your fix with chili powder and vinegar makes sense. Hopefully the next batch brings back that Ohio taste you remember.

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