Halloween has come and gone, but some of us still have uncarved pumpkins and gourds on our porch to give off “fall vibes.”
So with winter quickly approaching, what should we do with all our pumpkins before they rot?
Don’t be intimidated to make your pumpkin puree, it’s more simple than you think! Take your smaller pumpkins, slice the gourd in half. Don’t cut the stem! Cut around the stem, and pull it apart. Then scoop out the stringy insides and seeds.
Once the unwanted insides are gone, season with salt and place your pumpkin on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet upside down. Set the oven to 400 degrees and let them cook for an hour, or until the pumpkin can easily be stabbed with a fork.
Finally, scoop out the soft pumpkin, put it in a blender, and puree it until it’s smooth. Then you can use it to make all the pumpkin flavored foods like pies, breads, and cookies.
When making pumpkin puree, don’t throw out the seeds, they can make a tasty and healthy snack! Rinse off the seeds you’ve collected, then put them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Strain the pumpkin seeds and throw them in a bowl and season them with oil and any seasoning blend. Pumpkin seeds can be seasoned to either be a sweet or savory flavor, whatever your taste buds desire!
Once seasoned, throw them on a lined baking sheet, and throw them in the oven for 10 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
MAKE A BIRD FEEDER
Here’s a fun fall activity to do with the whole family. We’re at the time of year when all the birds haven’t flown south for winter yet. Feed your feathered friends by making a bird feeder out of your leftover pumpkins!
Cut your pumpkin in half, scoop out the stringy bits, fill the hole with birdseed, and set it out in the yard or patio. The birds will enjoy the seeds and pumpkins you left behind!
DONATE TO A LOCAL FARM
If you live in the city, you can’t just toss your pumpkins into the woods or compost pile. Instead of throwing your unwanted pumpkins in the trash to rot, donate them to a local farm!
Animal farms will cut up the pumpkins and feed them to their livestock or use them as stimulation and let the animals play with them before breaking them up to eat. There are organizations like Pumpkins for Pigs that have a directory of where pumpkins can be donated.
But, it’s as simple as giving your local farm a call to see if they’ll take the donation so those pumpkins don’t go to waste.
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