What Can You Do with Your Leftover Pumpkins?

How to Reuse Your Carved Pumpkins

When the trick-or-treaters have gone home to count their candy and the Halloween décor is packed away until next year, there’s still one thing left to do:

What do I do with my carved pumpkins?

If you’ve created a carved Jack-o’-lantern masterpiece and set it outside for all to gawk at, chances are high that it’s been exposed to bugs, candle wax, dirt, and bacteria. So, you probably don’t want to eat your carved pumpkin after Halloween. After all, if you’ve ever seen a carved pumpkin spoil, it isn’t pretty, so why would you even consider eating it?

However, you CAN use a carved-out pumpkin as compost (just be sure to chop it up into pieces). Of course, you can reuse whole pumpkins and even carved pumpkins (before they’ve been outside for too long), which we’ll discuss here!

Reusing Carved Pumpkins: What To Do

Most of the standard Jack-o’-lantern-sized pumpkins at your local grocery store are bred for color and size rather than taste. That said, there are plenty of tasty things you can do with your pumpkins after you’ve carved it, including:

Roast Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds Don’t throw away the pumpkin seeds—roast them! Pumpkin seeds have many health benefits. They’re rich in antioxidants and an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids.

Here’s how to prepare and roast them:

  • Separate the seeds from the stringy guts
  • Rinse well
  • Lay them out on a flat sheet to dry
  • Toss them in a pan with olive oil or a bit of butter (sprinkle with salt if desired)
  • Roast the seeds in the oven at 300 degrees until golden brown (about 45 minutes)

Other yummy ideas:

  • Pumpkin seed pesto, you can find the recipe here
  • Use roasted seeds to add a delicious crunch to guacamole or hummus

Homemade Pumpkin Stock

Be sure to save the pumpkin guts. Don’t throw them away because you can make a delicious stock! You can use the stock as a base for pumpkin soup or a fall corn chowder. Of course, before you get started, you’ll want to remove the seeds. Here’s how to make a tasty pumpkin stock:

  • Place the pumpkin guts into a big stock pot
  • Throw other veggies in the pot (onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms are excellent)
  • Throw in a bay leaf or two
  • Add water to cover
  • Simmer for an hour or so (stir it a few times)
  • Strain out the veggies, and viola, you’ve got a delicious pumpkin stock

Feed the Local Wildlife

Squirrels and deer are looking to fatten up before winter. You can help them along by cutting your pumpkin into small pieces and leaving it out for them to enjoy. Local farmers will appreciate your pumpkin, too; they can use it as a treat for pigs and goats.

Ways to Reuse Whole Pumpkins

pumpkin creamAs discussed earlier, the larger pumpkins most used for Jack-o’-lanterns aren’t so tasty. They’re better off being used for baked goods purposes. Of course, adding sugar and fat will enhance their flavor. But if you’ve got the smaller pumpkin varieties, you have plenty of options in the kitchen. Here are a few ideas:

Make a Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin puree is incredibly versatile. Why use a canned variety when you can whip up a batch yourself? Here’s how to do it:

  • Split and roast the pumpkin halves
  • Scoop out the flesh
  • Blend in a food processor
  • Use it within a week or put in the freezer for up to three months

slice of pumpkin pieBake a Fresh Pumpkin Pie

You can use fresh pumpkins to make a delectable pumpkin pie. You’ll need the following ingredients:

  • Evaporated milk
  • Eggs
  • Fall spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, etc.)

Pumpkin Soup

Making pumpkin soup is easy, and, best of all, it’s so good! Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need for this quick and easy recipe:

  • Large chunks of peeled and chopped pumpkin
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Broth/Stock and water
  • Place the ingredients into a pot (boil rapidly for 15 minutes to tenderize the pumpkin bits)
  • Transfer to a blender or use a stick blender to make it smooth
  • Milk, cream, half and half, or a touch of butter (stir it through at the end)

Reusing Pumpkins is a Breeze

So, what do you plan to do with your pumpkins after Halloween? You can try your hand on some of the ideas we just discussed!

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