We have sunk to a new low.
You will recall I was stressed about all the not-perfect-yet-yummy fruit we were wasting as it fell from the trees in our yard. Well, we managed to eat some and the in-laws picked some pears and I even made pie.
Apple-rhubarb pie from our own apples and our own rhubarb and frozen pie shells. Yum.
This was about ten days ago. We ate one pie immediately. The other pie stayed in the fridge and waited. Sometimes I would be a little hungry but I didn’t “feel like pie.” I almost took it to work to share with my students, but I forgot it at home. It’s true, we had little occasion to share the pie with friends, but mostly we forgot about it in the hustle-bustle of kids and work.
Two nights ago Leanne had some friends over and put the pie in the oven, which was cooling, to warm it up a bit. Then she forgot about it and left it there. Yesterday she took it out. Guess what? It’s mouldy now!
When you buy a pie, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal to throw out some leftovers you couldn’t finish. When you grew, picked, cut and peeled fruit to make a pie, throwing the whole pie into the Solar Cone is just so sad.
So why didn’t we Just Eat It?
My theory is that, aside from being completely overwhelmed by more pressing concerns, we were never really focused on the eating. I made these pies to make good use of some fruit. Once that was done, I was done. The eating wasn’t the point.
Maybe if I had realised this, I would have given that lovely pie away to someone who would love it the way it deserved to be loved. I guess I had the idea that it was a darn good pie and there was no excuse not to eat it.
This week I wised up a bit and posted on Hammond Neighbours facebook group that we need help picking the fruit in the yard. I immediately met a nice family who came by and collected a good wagon load. It’s great to hear that someone is canning or saucing or crumbling with the fruit I can’t seem to get to.
Maybe next year I will figure this out earlier or maybe, if we reduce our consumption even further, we won’t have to work so much and we’ll have time to really enjoy the pie we make.
