After the excitement of carving your spooky jack-o'-lantern, you're left with a pile of pumpkin guts and a glowing masterpiece. But once Halloween night has passed, what happens to that festive pumpkin? Instead of letting it rot on your porch, becoming food for critters of the night, or tossing it in the trash, why not put it to good use? From delicious recipes to crafty projects, there are plenty of creative ways to extend the life of your pumpkin well beyond its days as a Halloween decoration.
Let’s explore nine fun and eco-friendly ideas to make the most out of your carved pumpkins!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
How to do it: After scooping out the seeds, clean as much pumpkin flesh from them as possible (but save those stringy, fleshy parts if you want to try some of the ideas suggested below!) and rinse them in a colander. The next step is optional, but I recommend boiling them for 8-10 minutes in a pot of salted water THEN dry the seeds before spreading them on a sheet pan and roasting. Either way, you need to allow the seeds to dry before roasting them. After the seeds are dry, toss them with some olive oil, salt, and any other seasonings you may like (here are some suggestions) and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for approximately 25 minutes in an oven at 325 degrees. Enjoy!
Tip: Keep an eye on the seeds because they can burn quickly after hitting that perfectly roasted mark. I check mine periodically after about 15 minutes or so.
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Homemade Pumpkin Purée
How to use: After scooping out the seeds, the remaining flesh can be pureed and used in pies, soups, bread, and even smoothies. You can bake or steam the pumpkin flesh until soft, then blend it into a smooth purée. It's perfect for a homemade pumpkin spice latte, pancakes, or my favorite - Pumpkin Bread! Keep reading for more ideas for that homemade pumpkin purée!
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DIY Pumpkin Playdough
How to do it: It's time to use that Homemade Pumpkin Purée for a fun Kitchen Creativity activity that is always a hit around our house. I have two different variations of this recipe - one is simple with just two ingredients and the other is an adaptation of this favorite recipe which has more ingredients and involves the stovetop.
Recipe #1: Only two ingredients are needed and that is Pumpkin Purée and Cornstarch. Start with about 2 cups of purée and start adding the cornstarch to it in small batches until you end up with the desired consistency. The good news is that if you add too much cornstarch you can always add a little water to make the dough less stiff. You can store this dough for several days in an airtight container.
Recipe #2: This one is an adaptation of a pumpkin-scented play dough we love to make because it smells so great and stores for a long time in airtight containers. Recently I tried to see if adding actual pumpkin would work so we can repurpose those "pumpkin guts" we have after making jack-o-lanterns. With a little trial and error, we found the right blend of pumpkin and spice to make this dough so nice! In a saucepan over low/medium heat mix together the below ingredients. Once it is all mixed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan remove it from the heat and let cool. Once cool to the touch you can roll it out and begin playing!
- 1.5 to 2 cups of pumpkin purée - 2 to 2.5 cups of flour - 1/2 cup of salt - 1 to 2 tbsp of cream of tartar - 2 tbsp of oil (coconut, vegetable, or olive have been tested!) - 1/2 cup of water - Pumpkin Pie Spice (we just add what feels right, but I would guess its 1-2 tbsp in total. We have also used separate spices when we didn't have a pumpkin pie blend on hand) - orange food coloring (sadly it doesn't magically come out in a pumpkin orange hue, but we love the brown shade it does make too!) |
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Pumpkin Self-Care
How to make & use a body scrub: Mix the innards with sugar or oatmeal for a natural body scrub. The pumpkin’s natural enzymes help exfoliate the skin, leaving it soft and smooth.
How to make & use a face mask: Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, which are great for your skin. Blend the pumpkin guts (minus the seeds) into a smooth paste, then mix with honey or yogurt for a nourishing DIY face mask. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes for a natural glow.
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Pumpkin Pet Treats
How to use: Dogs love pumpkin, and it’s great for their digestion. You can blend the pumpkin guts and mix them with oats or peanut butter to create simple, baked treats for your furry friends. A recipe we have made before involves using a food processor or strong blender to turn 3 cups of old-fashioned oats (not the quick-cook oats) into a flour-like consistency before adding in 2 eggs and about 2 cups of pumpkin purée and mixing into a dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick and cut into shapes before baking in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes. You can keep these cookies in an airtight container for about 5 days in the fridge, or freeze them and keep them for up to a month.
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Compost It
How to use: If you’re into gardening, pumpkin guts make excellent compost material. They break down quickly and add nutrients to your soil, enriching your garden for next season. If you aren't into gardening but want to donate your pumpkin for another to use - join in for one of Chicago's Annual Pumpkin Smash events on November 9th! Pumpkins in landfills create a lot of greenhouse emissions and last year the city was able to divert 26 TONS of pumpkin waste into rich composting material.
Pumpkin Smoothie
How to use: Blend pumpkin purée with fruits like banana, apple, and a bit of cinnamon for a seasonal and healthy smoothie packed with fiber and vitamins. Here is one of our favorite Pumpkin Smoothie Recipes!
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Pumpkin Cocktails
How to use: Get fancy by using fresh pumpkin innards in cocktails or mocktails. Puree the pumpkin flesh and mix it with ingredients like rum, bourbon, or spiced cider for a cozy fall drink. A favorite to try is this recipe (from Half Baked Harvest) for a Spicy Bourbon Pumpkin Punch which is a great drink for cozy fall celebrations. Just combine all of the ingredients from the Maple Syrup to the Sea Salt in a sauce pan and boil for about 5 minutes to make a syup. Add it to the bourbon, juice and bitters in a pitcher or punch bowl and chill until ready to share! Serve it over ice with a splash of ginger beer to complete the fall flavor.
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups bourbon or whiskey
- 1/2 cup orange or clementine juice
- 6-8 dashes orange bitters
- 4 ginger beer for topping
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Pumpkin Enzyme Multipurpose Cleaner
How to make & use: Create a DIY natural cleaner by fermenting the pumpkin guts with water and sugar for a few weeks. This makes an eco-friendly enzyme cleaner that's great for countertops and windows. Use a clean soft plastic bottle (think plastic water, soda, or milk containers) because the fermenting process creates gases and there needs to be a little "give" to the container during the process.
The recipe is one of ratios and approximations -
1 part sugar (white or brown)
3 parts pumpkin "guts"
10 parts water
Added bonus:an at-home science lesson all about the fermentation process and in the end you get a safe, healthy and eco-friendly multipurpose cleanser.
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