The Great Pumpkin Scent - October has flown by and here we are in November, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. My mouth is already watering imagining all the wonderful food. Not just the dinner delights like roasted turkey, velvety mashed potatoes, and tart cranberry relish, but also the dessert. Pumpkin is my personal favorite and if you’re like me, you enjoy a little pie with your whipped cream.
One of the best things about pumpkin pie is the aroma while it bakes, filling the air with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger combined with a flaky, doughy crust. It’s no wonder The Great Pumpkin Fragrance is our scent of the month for November. Which brings up several fascinating facts about the pumpkin – a fall favorite fruit (yes, it’s a fruit!):
Not only is pumpkin pie a crowd-pleaser nowadays – it has been loved for centuries. The first pumpkins were imported from America to France in the early 17th century where they were called pompon and eventually became popular in England who dubbed them pompions. The first time it was ever referred to as a ‘pumpkin’ was in the story of Cinderella.
The initial experiments with cooking pumpkin resulted in soups with savory ingredients before later being filled with sweet items like honey, apple, and cinnamon. Eventually, the pumpkin was used to create a sort of pudding with currants and raisins. In the late 18th century, a recipe was featured in the first cookbook for American-found ingredients and most closely resembled the pumpkin pies we know and love today. Pumpkin pie eventually became popular during holidays in the 19th century and were only discouraged once, after WWII ended - due to egg rationing.
But here at Aroma Retail, we don’t just like to delve into the curiosities of the past, we also like to think of the future, especially with an eco-friendly mindset.
Did you know you might be able to recycle your Halloween pumpkin into your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie?
An uncut pumpkin can last up to three months, so, if you didn’t carve a jack-o-lantern, you can create your own pumpkin puree – it’s as easy as roasting it for 45-60 minutes on 400 degrees and putting it in a food processor once cool. Even if you painted on the pumpkin, you can just skim that part of the shell away prior to baking.
And don’t forget to keep the seeds. You can either roast them for a yummy, nutritionally packed snack, or you can plant them to grow your own pumpkins for next year. Each gourd contains about 500 seeds, so feel free to do both. Keep in mind that if you do plant a few seeds, plan on putting them in the ground in June so they’ll be ready in time for next fall.
Whether you plan to bake your own pumpkin pie or support your local baker by picking one up, scent your home all November long with the wonderful aroma of a freshly baked pie. The Great Pumpkin Fragrance will bring the welcoming, warm scent of sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, and buttery crust into your home and into the hearts of your loved ones this season.
We here at Aroma Retail are grateful to all our customers and wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
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