I have a confession; I actually hate carving pumpkins. It's smelly, it's messy and it's actually quite difficult isn't it? I'm certainly not very good at it so the end result often leaves a lot to be desired. The thing I hate the most though, is how much pumpkin must get wasted every year when the guts get thrown in the bin (and probably the entire pumpkin after halloween) so I'm here with some ideas of how to use your guts (and the rest).
ROAST THE SEEDS // Pumpkin seeds are delicious, I usually pop them in homemade granola, but you could also add them to salads or even just have them as a snack. Simply rinse to get rid of any leftover stringy guts, soak in water overnight, leave them to dry, then roast in the oven with your favourite herbs/spices.
USE THE PULP IN RECIPES // I'm not here with the actual recipes because there are already heaps of those on the internet and I tend to wing things rather than follow a recipe, which I wouldn't necessarily recommend. I also can't really say I've made many recipes with pumpkin pulp because of my hatred for carving them in the first place. Use your pulp in soup, sauces or probably a multitude of other things, just don't waste it!
ROAST THE FLESH // When you're done with your carving masterpiece, roast the bits of flesh you've carved out (they are bloody delicious!). I love a roast veg medley served with cous cous and maybe some halloumi.
COMPOST // If cooking isn't your thing or you simply can't be bothered you can compost pumpkin seeds/pulp/flesh instead. At the very least pop them in your food waste bin for the council if you have one (I am still seething that we don't since we moved area). You can also do this with your carved masterpiece once Halloween is over.
DONATE // Some places will take pumpkin guts and/or carved pumpkins to compost themselves or to turn into animal feed so it's well worth having a look around for somewhere near you that does this. Probably the easiest option and it still stops it from going to waste!
Amy x
Comments
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my blog, I read them all so remember to tick 'Notify' if you want to see my reply!