Wondering what to do with pumpkins after October?
Dont let your jack-o-lanterns go to waste.
Try these recycling ideas.
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards
Sadly, thousands of pumpkins are tossed in the trash every year.
With these eco-friendly tips for recyclingHalloween pumpkins, even those shriveled and sunkenjack-o-lanternscan be useful.
Touse fresh pumpkinin a recipe that calls for canned, you gotta use a little math.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Pass Along Your Pumpkins
Dont want to deal with the pumpkins yourself?
No worriesplenty of places may take them off your hands.
Theyll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks.
Theyll compost the pumpkins or share the pumpkins with animals, keeping them out of landfills.
Feed the Birds
Turn your Halloween pumpkin into a bird feeder toattract feathered friends to your yard.
Just cut the pumpkin in half horizontally, empty the cavity, and fill it with birdseed.
you could also add pumpkin seeds to your regular bird seed.
Rinse and dry the seeds before mixing them in.
Dont flavor or salt the seeds; the birds will eat them as is.
Create Compost
Pumpkins make a great addition to yourcompost pile.
Turn pumpkin-smashing into a fun family activityyou probably wont have to look far to find willing participants.
Pumpkin composting is simple.
If youd like, save the seeds and try your hand atgrowing your own pumpkins next year.
First, rinse the pulp away from the seeds and allow them to dry.
Try pumpkin bowling by filling plastic bottles with water and setting them up in a 10-pin triangle.
Once youre done displaying your pumpkins, cut them up into fourths and place pieces around your yard.
Deer, rabbits, and other creatures will make short work of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not quite.
Instead, they rot and emit methane (CH4) gas.
Yes, but you probably shouldnt.
Scrub the exterior of your pumpkin with a vegetable brush under warm water to remove any dirt and debris.
Remove the stem and cut the pumpkin in half or 5-inch wedges (depending on the size).
Then, use a heavy-duty metal scoop to remove the guts.
Scrape the flesh clean of any stringy bits with a small paring knife or vegetable peeler.
Combat packing landfills by smashing pumpkins with Illinois Extension.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Pumpkins: Background & Statistics.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
