Pumpkin Scrap 101: What to do With Your Pumpkin Scraps

Credit: Peanuts

Pumpkin Spice Latte season may have started in August, but it is officially Pumpkin carving season in New York City. This piece is for all jack-o'-lantern Lovers, Pumpkin Patch Princesses, and anyone else who usually finds themselves with some mushy pumpkins on their hands at the end of the month. Enjoying this seasonal fruit at this time of year is always festive fun, but can feel like a waste once the fun is over. Fortunately, there are tons of ways to use as much of these pumpkins throughout the entire season before composting them forever. Here is a list of five different ways to utilize those wilting jack-o'-lanterns from start to finish! 

1. Cook that ish up! 

Credit: The Pesky Vegan Pumpkin Soup

Although many people don’t know, jack-o'-lantern pumpkins are just as edible as a typical “pumpkin pie” pumpkin or squash! jack-o'-lantern and pumpkin patch pumpkins do not have quite as much flavor or natural sweetness as baking pumpkins, but they are 100% edible. They can be incorporated into delicious soup and breads, and their seeds can be roasted up for a crunchy snack. Pumpkin picking can be a favorite Instagram affair or a serious exploration of art – either way,there are plenty of delicious recipes to turn those leftover pumpkin insides into a Sopa de Calabaza or this easy vegan Halloween Pumpkin Soup. Soup is always a go-to for the fall season, and some pumpkin mash can be made into these adorable pumpkin bread rolls to be served on the side. Once the pumpkin guts have been taken care of, the leftover seeds can be roasted in the oven with spices for a delicious soup topping for a pumpkin-themed dinner, or just a yummy snack to take to work or school.

2. Hoard it for the Holidays

Credit: Eating Richly Pumpkin Bread

Although Sustainable Baddie is not pro-hoarding, storing pumpkin puree made from leftover Halloween pumpkins is a great way to prepare for when the guests arrive and start demanding pie! Halloween pumpkins can be roasted, skin and all, blended up, and put in the freezer for later use. The roasted pumpkin can also be eaten right out of the oven – it makes a delicious addition to fall salads or grain bowls! Although these pumpkins can be a bit tougher than regular pie pumpkins, with a little TLC and some extra sugar, the stringy insides can be blended down to make the perfect pumpkin pie texture. This puree also works to make other fun treats like pumpkin bread, indigenous pumpkin pudding, or these dreamy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

3. Literally STOCK up 

Credit: Disney

When the days get colder and the nights get longer, it is soup’s time to shine. Fall soups are a great way to use pumpkin leftovers and enjoy a warm and cozy evening at home. Making vegetable stock is a great way to get more use out of any vegetable, and pumpkins can be easily incorporated. The pumpkin guts can be stored in the freezer, and leftover vegetable scraps like onion tops, potato skins, carrot shreds (really anything) should be saved. Once there is enough, it can all be boiled down together for around an hour, and Ta-Da! Pumpkin stock for the season!

4. Fill ‘er up 

Credit: HGTV

Those pumpkin patch pumpkins can be made into a classic jack-o'-lantern, or they can have an even longer life as a pumpkin planter. After carving out all the yummy insides,  making a drainage hole in the base of the pumpkin can turn it into a planter. Smaller pumpkins and gourds can be made into pumpkin candles (or make a massive candle with a large pumpkin, there are no rules here!). The carved out pumpkin can be filled with melted candle wax. The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg to the wax mix makes for a yummy pumpkin pie scent. If it is close enough to the holidays, empty pumpkins also make very festive serving bowls. 

5. Send them into the Wild!

Credit: San Diego Zoo

Once these pumpkins truly start to decompose, there are ways to return them back to the earth. Often, animal sanctuaries will accept pumpkin donations as food for their animals. Pigs, goats, cows, and other farm animals love snacking on this sweet treat. This Pumpkins for Pigs website lists accepting sanctuaries! P.S. Those in New York City can participate in the Central Park Conservancy’s Pumpkin Flotilla event for a beautiful send off of old jack-o'-lanterns across the park’s Harlem Meer. Other ways to send leftover pumpkins back into the wild is by turning them into squirrel and bird feeders. Carving a hole in the top of the pumpkin, stringing it on a nearby tree, and filling it with yummy bird seed will be a welcome treat for the local critterpopulation. Finally, once the pumpkins are cooked up, used up, and decomposed, the pumpkin seeds can be saved and planted next season by drying out the seeds and storing them in an envelope to be planted in the summer. 

Everyone loves some fall decor, be it jack-o'-lanterns, beautiful orange pumpkins, or the cutest little squashes. Luckily, many of these decorative items are also edible and all of them are natural. Creative pumpkin usage is Sustainable Baddie’s preferred way of bringing sustainability to Halloween this fall. Don’t have time to get creative with your pumpkin? No fear! Read up on Pumpkin Composting on Sustainable Baddie, coming soon!