The Puree Cycle

The time has come. The time is now. Fall colours are at their peak, scarves and sweaters are being pulled out, everyone is sick of turkey and cranberry sauce….

Yes, the time has come to dig down deep in the freezer and pull out your frozen pumpkin puree from last October.

I swear I do it every year. With intentions good, I chop and mash a huge pumpkin and bundle it off into the deep freeze. You know – to make pies all winter long. I never appear to remember that no one in his or her right mind, makes pumpkin pie after Christmas (possibly not even after Thanksgiving). Thus my puree sits. One big block of wasted space.

And not to accuse or generalize, but I suspect there are more people out there who do this too. It’s all right to confess…I understand. We should have a support group.

I don’t usually have any qualms about chucking last year’s stuff before I start on a new batch, but this Fall I decided to rebel against my own worst failing. I was going to use all my puree up – and I wasn’t getting another pumpkin until it was gone.

So last week I took my defrosted puree to task and made…

                            cookies...

                       pies...

                         waffles...

                         and cake.

There. I think I might have this cycle of puree waste licked.

And that small container of orange stuff I found the next day, under a pork roast in the freezer? I firmly deny its existence.

~Olivia