Ways to Reuse & Recycle Your Pumpkin
When Halloween comes around, the first thing many of us think of is what we’re going to carve on our pumpkin this year. But, it’s just as important to consider what you’re going to do with it after the Holiday. Today, we’ll go over some ways you can reuse your pumpkin safely!
It’s important to note, that Pumpkins should never be disposed of by leaving them in a wooded-forest area. While it may seem like you’re feeding the wild-life, pumpkins will actually harm it. Hedgehogs and other animals can become sickly due to eating the flesh and it is also detrimental on woodland soils, plants and fungi. To learn more, read this article.
Now, with that out of the way! Let’s discuss some fun ideas!
First up, as you always get recommended. There are so many recipes that make fantastic use of your jack-o’-lantern! From soups and pies to curries and chillies there’s a wide variety of recipes on offer!
So many of these recipes, and many more, can be found on the BBC Good Food Website so it’s worth checking it out and seeing what all you can make!
But some other ones can be covering the seeds in butter or olive oil, sprinkled with salt and roasted in the oven for a light snack! There’s hundreds of recipes out there but these were just a few of our favourites!
Similarly, some of our canine friends also love pumpkin! Pumpkin has many benefits for dogs such as including vitamins A, C and E as well as minerals like iron and potassium! There’s so many good points that it’d be a waste to not share some with your dogs! However, it’s important to remember that some dogs are allergic to pumpkin.
You can mix pumpkin and yogurt together and divide the mixture evenly to put into the freezer in an iced tray for a super quick and easy treat!
Or, combine dog-safe peanut butter, pumpkin and flour to create a dough that can be baked in the oven to create fun little treats!
Our final recipe is adding banana, egg and flour with oats folded in to the mixture for a cookie-like batter then baked! Another amazing treat for your pup!
While we mentioned earlier on that leaving a pumpkin out in the woods isn’t the right thing to do, there is other ways you can use your pumpkin to help local plants and animals.
- You can fill your carved pumpkin with bird seed and hang it in your back garden as a good snack for the birds!
- After carving your pumpkin, you can harvest the seeds, then clean off all the pulp. Once clean, you can store them in a cool, dry place. When April comes around, select the largest seeds and you can plant them! They should be fully grown by October.
- You can also chop up the pumpkin and put it in a compost pile if you have one, or take out the seeds and bury it in your garden after chopping.
- If you’re not a green-thumb, you can also call around local farms, sanctuaries and zoo’s and ask if they’re receiving donations of pumpkins! Pumpkins not only can provide nutritional value for animals but can also be a lot of fun!
Do you know of any other fun ways to reuse your pumpkin? Let us know in the comments or tag us with #lookLCCC
