14 delicious uses for Halloween pumpkins
- Roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Make pumpkin puree.
- Pickled pumpkin rinds.
- Bake a pumpkin pie.
- Make your own pumpkin spice latte.
- Make pumpkin chili.
- Dehydrate your own pumpkin pie leather.
- Bake some pumpkin bread or muffins.
What can you do with pumpkins after Halloween?
8 Ways to Reuse/Recycle Pumpkins After Halloween
- Compost your pumpkin. Pumpkins are 90 percent water, meaning they break down quickly.
- Make a pumpkin planter.
- Make a pumpkin feeder.
- Leave pumpkin seeds for wildlife.
- Plant pumpkin seeds.
- Cut into pieces for wildlife.
- Roast pumpkin seeds.
- Make pumpkin serving bowls.
What are Halloween pumpkins good for?
While they can be eaten, the mass-produced Halloween pumpkins found at grocery stores are bred to be decorations and do not have good flavor or texture. To avoid waste, chop them up and put them in the compost after October 31st. Or donate them to a goat farmer. The seeds, however, can always be roasted and enjoyed.
What do you do with leftover pumpkins after carving?
Storing leftover pumpkin
If you want to keep your pumpkin for longer then you should freeze it. Most people don’t have enough freezer space to throw a whole pumpkin in so we’d recommend chopping it into manageable pieces.
What can you do with decorative pumpkins?
Make them into edible bowls.
Carve out the seeds in the middle then use it as a bowl for pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, or pumpkin pudding. You can even use these little guys for savory dishes like soups or baked eggs.
What do you do with an abundance of a pumpkin?
14 delicious uses for Halloween pumpkins
- Roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Make pumpkin puree.
- Pickled pumpkin rinds.
- Bake a pumpkin pie.
- Make your own pumpkin spice latte.
- Make pumpkin chili.
- Dehydrate your own pumpkin pie leather.
- Bake some pumpkin bread or muffins.
Do zoos take pumpkins?
The Brookfield Zoo in Chicago gives pumpkins to “physically and mentally stimulate the animals” with items they don’t regularly see, the zoo shared in a news release. The practice can also support sustainability. Oakland Zoo uses donations of lumpy or unsold pumpkins from local pumpkin patches for the animals to enjoy.
Are Halloween pumpkins OK to eat?
It’s easy to forget that Halloween pumpkins are edible. Especially after you’ve carved and field-dressed them, having scraped out their innards and cut faces into them so they become jack-o’-lanterns. I’m not talking about their seeds, which are, of course, a savory and worthwhile snack when roasted and well seasoned.
Can I cook my Halloween pumpkin?
Can you cook halloween pumpkins? You sure can! Halloween pumpkins are just really big squash. While they may not be as sweet as a muscat or sugar pumpkin, they’re perfectly edible and I cook mine every year and use it to make homemade pumpkin purée, which I use in all kinds of recipes.
Can you eat the inside of a Halloween pumpkin?
Eating your Halloween pumpkin
The flesh, guts, and seeds of Halloween pumpkins are all edible, so don’t throw them away when you carve the inside of your jack-o-lantern.
Can you leave pumpkin out for wildlife?
“Squirrels, foxes, badgers and birds all enjoy them, so people could leave chopped up pumpkin outside in dishes for wild animals to eat if they choose. Wildlife can struggle to find food this time of year so some chunks of tasty pumpkin could be very welcome.
What do you do with gourds after Halloween?
These gorgeous gourds work so hard throughout the holidays and they are the glue of our Halloween decorations after all.
- Make a pumpkin bird feeder.
- Save the seeds to grow your next pumpkins.
- Feed wildlife.
- Feed your compost.
- Transform your pumpkins into planters or vases.
Can animals eat painted pumpkins?
Pumpkins are a safe treat for many animals – from pets to livestock. Make sure the pumpkins aren’t rotting, covered in candle wax, or painted before feeding.
Can I cook my Decorative pumpkins?
You can absolutely cook pumpkin the way you would cook any other winter squash. The varieties that are bred primarily for decorative use and Jack-o-lanterns may not be quite as flavorful or might be a bit stringier than pumpkins bred specifically for pies and other culinary uses but they are all edible.
How do you display a pumpkin?
Arrange gourds of a different color beside your display to play off the bright orange color of the pumpkins. Top it all off with brightly colored fall leaves. For a simple option that requires no carving, paint numbers on the face of each pumpkin before stacking them.
Can I freeze uncooked pumpkin?
You can freeze raw or cooked pumpkin for up to three months. Dice raw pumpkin and store in freezer bags or containers. Cooked pumpkin can be frozen in pieces or puréed. Add thawed cooked pumpkin to soups and salads, and thawed raw to casseroles and bakes.
What do you do with pumpkins in November?
Pumpkins can be used for jack-o-lanterns in October and be served as delicious holiday foods in November. Using pumpkins as a holiday food during the month of November comes from the holiday traditions that pilgrims partook in many years ago.
Can you throw pumpkins in the woods?
Let local wildlife have it
One thing you can do with your old jack-o-lantern is actually nothing at all: just leave it someplace in your yard. Local wildlife, like birds and squirrels, will have a nice time chowing down on your old, carved pumpkin.
Are snakes attracted to pumpkins?
Carved pumpkins (jack-o’-lanterns) can attract common backyard regulars such as raccoons, opossums and squirrels, and even larger animals such as coyotes, deer and bears. Pumpkins also appeal to rodents, which may in turn attract small predators like snakes.
Will squirrels eat pumpkins?
Pumpkins are not a squirrel’s favorite food. They eat them because instinct tells them they need to fatten up for the winter. If you give them tastier fare—say, peanuts, sunflower seeds, stale bread, crackers—they’ll have their fill without spilling pumpkin guts all over the yard.
Can pumpkin be poisonous?
Eating raw foods may increase your risk of food poisoning. This is especially true with raw pumpkin seeds, which may harbor harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. If consumed, these bacteria may cause foodborne illness, leading to symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps ( 9 ).
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.