Reuse: Reduce Waste
Kirsten Hudson with Natural Home Magazine provided the following ideas on how to re-use your uncarved pumpkin. I am very impressed with her ideas.
Uncarved pumpkins can last weeks to months depending on how they’re stored. If left sitting outside in the cold fall weather, they probably aren’t good to eat. Check to see if the pumpkin is moldy or the outside feels soft and squishy. If so, it will have to go to the compost bin.
Get the most out of the pumpkin by roasting it. Follow these steps to roast your own pumpkin.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Cut off the stem of the pumpkin. Compost the stem.
Step 3: Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. It’s easiest just to pick them out with your fingers. Set the seeds aside.
Step 4: Use a spoon to scrape out the pumpkin “guts.” Compost these.
Step 5: Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, leave the skin on.
Step 6: Place pumpkin into a roasting dish.
Step 7: Roast for 1 to 2 hours or until tender.
Step 8: Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool.
Step 9: Remove the skin from the cooked pumpkin and compost it.
Step 10: Mash the cooked pumpkin with a food processor until smooth.
The roasted pumpkin can replace canned pumpkin in any recipe. The inside of the pumpkin can go into tons of recipes—pies, muffins, cakes, soups, breads and more. Try using your roasted pumpkin in these yummy recipes: pumpkin thyme scones and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
The seeds you set aside when roasting the pumpkin can also make a tasty treat. Try making cinnamon-sugar roasted pumpkin seeds or spicy pumpkin seeds. You can also store the seeds to plant your own pumpkins next year.
- Jayme Mattson
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