Don’t throw away your pumpkins! What to do with ‘nutrition goldmines’ after Halloween?

More than 1 billion pounds (454 million kilograms) of pumpkins rot We Landfill after each year Halloweenaccording to Department of Energy,

But you don’t have to let the local dump overwhelm you. Your pumpkins can be eaten, composted or even fed AnimalThis way.

Cooking with Pumpkin Waste

each part of a Pumpkin Edible, so if you’re making a jack-o-lantern, don’t throw it away skin Or internal.

After carving, trim off excess flesh – the thick part between the outer skin and the inner flesh that holds it Seed —For soups and stews, says Carleigh Bodrug, a chef known for cooking with common leftover foods.

You can also puree it and add a tablespoon to your dog’s dinner for extra nutrients. And pumpkin pieces can be frozen for future use.

“Seeds are a nutritional goldmine,” Bodrug said. According to a 2022 study in the journal Plants, they’re packed with protein, magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats.

One of Bodrug’s recipes involves removing the seeds, rinsing, and roasting with cinnamon for a crunchy snack or salad topper. You can then use the fibrous intestines to make pumpkin puree for muffins.

This version differs from canned purees in grocery stores—which typically use a different type of pumpkin or squash—because carved pumpkins have harder interiors and a milder flavor. Carved pumpkin pulp can still be used for baking—you just have to increase the seasoning to enhance the flavor.

If you don’t want to eat your pumpkins, you can donate them to a local farm, which can use them to feed pigs, chickens and other animals.

The edible parts should be collected while you’re carving and before you paint, decorate, or leave it on your porch for weeks. Paint and wax are not food safe, and bacteria and mold can grow on the skin in outdoor climates.

Once you’ve cooked as much as you can and donated what’s safe to feed, composting the rest is the easiest way to keep it out of the landfill.

“This way, even if they’re not safe to eat, they can still give back to the earth,” Bodrug said.

Making compost at home or donating it to the farm

Composting pumpkins keeps them out of methane-emitting landfills and instead transforms them into nutrient-rich soil. You can do this at home or drop them off at a local farm, compost collection bin or drop-off site.

“A large percentage of what goes into the landfill is stuff that could have been composted,” said Dante Sclafani, compost coordinator for Queens County Farms in New York.

“So even cutting up something like a pumpkin can really help reduce how many trash bags you’re putting out every week.”

Before composting, remove any candles, plastic, glitter, or other decorations – they can contaminate the compost. A little glitter or paint won’t spoil the pile, but it’s best to clean it as much as possible before throwing it away. Then, cut the pumpkin into 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) pieces so they can break apart easily.

“Pumpkins are full of water, so it’s important to maintain a good balance of dry leaves, wood chips, sawdust, shredded newspaper, cardboard, straw – anything that’s dry organic matter – in your compost bin.” If you don’t maintain this balance, your compost may start to smell.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a healthy compost pile should include a mix of “greens” — like pumpkin scraps and food waste — and “browns” like dry leaves, straw or cardboard, in about a three-to-one ratio. That balance helps break down the pile faster and prevents odors.

And if your pumpkin sits on the porch all month? This is really ideal.

“It’s never gone too far for compost,” Sclafani said. “Even if it’s mushy or moldy, it really helps, because the fungus speeds up decomposition.”

“It’s better to compost any organic thing than to throw it away because you’re not creating more waste in the landfill, you’re not creating methane gas,” said Laura Greaney, the farm’s education director.

Granny said autumn on the farm is the perfect opportunity to teach children about composting because it lets them realize the power it has to tackle big environmental challenges.

“Even though they’re little, composting helps them feel like they can make a difference,” Greaney said.

“They take that message to their families, and that’s how we spread the word.”