What pumpkin variety does Libby's canned pumpkin use solely for its purée?

Libby's canned pumpkin uses the Dickinson pumpkin variety solely for its purée.

Dickinson is a cultivar of Cucurbita moschata, a species that also includes butternut squash. Its dense, fine-grained, relatively dry flesh produces a smooth purée that works especially well in pies. The pumpkins usually have tan, blocky or oblong exteriors rather than the bright orange look associated with carving pumpkins.

The variety traces its American history to Kentucky in the early 19th century, when farmer Elijah Dickinson cultivated it and later brought it to central Illinois. Commercial processing became concentrated around Morton, Illinois, where the dark soil and mild climate suited pumpkin production. Libby's developed a proprietary Dickinson-type variety and built its canned-pumpkin business around it.

A common mix-up is assuming canned pumpkin must come from small sugar pumpkins. Those are popular for home baking, but Libby's product uses Dickinson pumpkins. Other brands may use different varieties, and canned pumpkin is purée—not pumpkin-pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.