There are millions of ways to carve, paint and decorate your pumpkin for Halloween, but what do you do with the guts?
Luckily, there are just as many, if not more, possibilities when it comes to getting your money’s worth for your pumpkin.
Pumpkin puree is the core ingredient to hundreds of recipes that scream fall with every bite, from pumpkin soup to pumpkin bread, pumpkin rolls and pumpkin pie.
If you have a pumpkin recipe you love but typically use canned pumpkin for, know that pumpkin puree is the same thing. However, not all types of pumpkin are equal—smaller varieties of pumpkin are often sweeter than the larger varieties.
Going from pulp to puree isn’t complicated. Start by removing all the seeds, but save them for later. Scrape as much of the meaty pumpkin flesh from the interior as you can without compromising the structural integrity of the noble Jack O’ Lantern.
Once you have your pile of pulp and pumpkin interior, place these contents into a pan with about an inch of water and bake them in the oven at 350° F for at least an hour. After baking, puree the pulp mix twice over. You can also add some light salt, brown sugar or cinnamon for flavor, but it isn’t necessary.
Note that this method might not yield quite as much puree as the process for breaking down a sugar pumpkin—the variety typically used for baked goods.
The seeds of your pumpkin can be used to make a tasty treat, too. While you can eat them raw, most people prefer to eat their pumpkin seeds roasted.
To turn your pumpkin seeds into a snack, clean them first, rinsing and straining out all the pulp before drying them. Next, you can choose to coat the seeds with olive oil and salt or skip the extras and roast as is. To roast your pumpkin seeds, you’ll want to spread them out over a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 325° F for about 25 minutes. After cooking, leave the pumpkin seeds out until they are cool.
Even if pumpkin spice isn’t your thing, you can still get more out of your pumpkin guts.
Pumpkin pulp can also be used to feed local wildlife or set the stage for a relaxing home spa experience.
Many of the feathered friends you see in your backyard are known to indulge in the pumpkin’s nutritious seeds. To prepare your pumpkin seeds and pulp for local avians, all you need to do is forgo the salt and scatter the seeds as is, or mix them with the birdseed you already put out. To prepare the pulp, just be sure to break it up into smaller pieces.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, cut pumpkin can attract squirrels, foxes, deer and even the odd porcupine.
Some pumpkin afficionados split the benefits by leaving the seeds to the wildlife and keeping the pulpy goodness to themselves for use in face masks.
While results and ingredients might vary, the DIY pumpkin face mask doesn’t need to be complicated. Most recipes combine pumpkin pulp puree with ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, brown sugar and even yogurt. Mix your puree with the skin-friendly oil of your choosing, add a little brown sugar for spice and apply it to your face. After applying, let the mask set for about 15 minutes before giving it a rinse!
And if all else fails or you still have extra pulp, pumpkin makes an excellent addition to any compost project.
