Pumpkin carving is a wonderful Halloween tradition! It is a fun family activity and you have some fantastic Halloween decorations when you have finished.
Every Halloween around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin goes to waste every year in the U.K. as they are carved and thrown away. There are so many things that you can do with you leftover pumpkin. Here are some ideas.
We have some fantastic recipes on our website that are perfect for using up your leftover pumpkin. Turn it into a risotto, a soup, a pie or simple roast it. Visit the recipe section on our website for inspiration.
Did you know that pumpkins are a great healthy snack for dogs? They are full of vitamins, are a great source of fibre and they are good for their digestion. You could chop up your leftover pumpkin and give it as an occasional treat, cook it into a puree and mix in with their food or you could freeze pumpkin cubes for longer lasting snacks.
Pumpkin seeds can be used too. You can wash and dry them, then roast them with a little oil and salt for a tasty snack. Birds love the toasted seeds too but don't add oil and salt when roasting these.
You can also add pumpkins to the compost heap so that it can naturally decompose and, in time fertise your garden. Pumpkins are a worms favourite food! Simply smash up your pumpkin and let nature take over.