Halloween is over and it’s time to take down the holiday decorations from the front porch. As I head to the trash with my creepy spider webs, ghosts and other Halloween decorations, I wonder if there’s something I can do with my pumpkins. Do I really need to throw them away? Can Halloween pumpkins be recycled?
After doing some research, I found there are several ways to extend the life of my pumpkins. Better Homes & Gardens has a great article I’ll reference about making use of your whole pumpkins after the holiday, https://www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkins/ways-to-use-leftover-pumpkins/.
Here are a few ideas:
- Feed The Wildlife: Cut up whole pumpkins into smaller pieces to feed the neighborhood wildlife. Pumpkins make great snacks for deer, squirrels, rabbits and more furry friends. Just remember that painted pumpkins may be toxic and should never, ever be ingested by people or animals. Throw away painted pumpkins.
- Donate Your Pumpkins: You can always contact the local zoo, an animal shelter, local farm or community garden to ask if you can donate leftover pumpkins. The receiving organization will be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks.
- Eat Your Pumpkin: You can always clean up your uncarved pumpkin and eat it. For instance, pumpkin seeds can be baked to make a great healthy snack and “you can use fresh pumpkin puree in any recipe that calls for the canned version. You’ll need to do a little conversion: Keep in mind that one 2-1/2 pound pumpkin is equivalent to about 15 ounces canned pumpkin—the standard grocery store can.”
- Compost Your Pumpkin: Pumpkins make great compost because they are mostly water and decompose quickly. Just remember to remove the seeds so that pumpkin plants do not sprout from your compost pile.
These four ideas are perfect for creating a no waste environment for our seasonal whole pumpkins.
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