Now that Halloween is over and the stores are playing Christmas music, people are starting to wonder what to do with the pumpkins that are decorating their front porch. Should you just throw them away? No! There are several awesome ways to recycle your decorative pumpkins.
Every year, thousands of pumpkins get tossed in the trash; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, about 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins in the United States end up in landfills.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to recycle your Halloween pumpkins this year. Instead of piling them up for trash day, try these eco-friendly ideas for repurposing, reusing, or recycling your pumpkins post-October. Even those jack-o’-lanterns that may be looking a little shriveled and sunken still can be useful! Don’t give up on your gourds just yet.
Here are my top 5.
donate them
Do you have a local farm? Call them and see if they could use your pumpkins to feed the animals. See if you can donate leftover pumpkins to zoos, animal shelters, or community gardens. They’ll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks. Look local; some towns do a pumpkin collection drive after Halloween, and some farms put out calls for local pumpkin donations. Tip: Check Next Door or community Facebook groups.
create compost
Nothing makes a garden grow better than healthy soil full of nutrients. You can turn your pumpkins into compost infusing your garden with the nourishment that it needs. If you’ve never composted before, don’t be intimidated — it’s much easier than you think. Because they’re mostly water, they decompose quickly, but it’ll go even faster if you break them apart first. Cut the gourds into small pieces and either add them to the compost pile or bury them in a trench dug right into the garden bed. Turn pumpkin smashing into a fun family activity; you probably won’t have to look far to find willing participants.
Pumpkin composting is pretty simple. Just remember to remove the seeds first so your gourds don’t root in the pile. If you’d like, you can save them to try your hand at growing your own pumpkins next year. Just rinse the pulp away from the seeds and allow the seeds to dry. Store them in an envelope in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant.
feed wildlife
Birds, squirrels, deer, rabbits and other wildlife love a tasty treat. Some people like to leave the pumpkin as is and put it somewhere in the yard for animals to nosh on all fall long. Alternatively, you can pull the seeds out of the pumpkin and feed them to your wild friends by scattering them around the yard. To avoid pumpkins getting stuck on the heads of our critter friends, I do recommend chopping the pumpkin into small pieces.
home spa day
Pumpkins are packed with vitamins A, E and C as well as antioxidants — all blended together in a moisturizing base that is good for your skin and hair.
skin
How to make a pumpkin face mask
Ingredients
2 cups pureed pumpkin
4 Tbsp plain, unflavored yogurt (contains lactic acid, a gentle exfoliator)
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (rich in antioxidants, also helps aid in exfoliation)
4 Tbsp honey (a great antibacterial)
1/4 tsp olive oil (hydrating and packed with vitamins)
Directions
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until fully incorporated.
Apply to cleansed skin and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes while you enjoy a bath or shower.
Hair
Pumpkin flesh is loaded with antioxidants that can help to protect your hair from environmental aggressors, like air pollution and UV rays. Pumpkin flesh is also rich in vitamin A, which helps your scalp to produce enough sebum. Sebum is a natural oil that keeps your hair moisturized and strong. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of zinc, a mineral your body needs to grow healthy hair.
Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients in a bowl.
Apply the DIY pumpkin hair mask to clean, damp hair. Comb with a wide-tooth comb to ensure even distribution.
Cover hair with a shower cap, then allow the pumpkin hair mask to sit in your hair for 20 minutes.
Rinse out the pumpkin hair mask with lukewarm water, then wash and condition hair with doTERRA Protecting Shampoo & Daily Conditioner.
eat them
While your typical decorative pumpkin is not quite as tasty as some other varieties, you can still eat them. Just make sure that your pumpkins are still in good shape without any signs of mold. Toasted pumpkin seeds make a healthy snack and you can season them with just about any spice you enjoy.
You won’t get as much pumpkin out of one of a jack-o-lantern pumpkin as you would a pie pumpkin of the same size. And it will probably have a different flavor. But you can still use your Halloween pumpkins to bake a pie.
Ingredients
Sugared Cranberries (optional)
1 cup (120g) fresh cranberries*
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar, divided
1 cup (240ml) water
Pumpkin Pie
Pie Crust (make your own or if you are like me, just buy one!)
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1 and 1/4 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
For the cranberries:
Place cranberries in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and stir. Let the cranberries sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (ideal). You’ll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss the cranberries, coating them all the way around. Pour the sugared cranberries on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You’ll have extra, but they’re great for eating or as garnish on other dishes. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the pumpkin pie filling: Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
Preheat oven to 375°F
Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm pre-baked crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly – that’s ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.
Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours. Decorate with sugared cranberries. You’ll definitely have leftover cranberries – they’re tasty for snacking. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
In conclusion, there are many things that you can do with old pumpkins; this is just a small list including my favorites. I am a big fan of repurposing things when possible and Halloween pumpkins provide a great opportunity to do just that.
What do you do with your old pumpkins?
Tip: Don’t give animals any painted pumpkins (and skip them for your pumpkin recipes), as the paint can be toxic if ingested.