Halloween night is quickly approaching and porches and windows will soon be illuminated with jack-o’-lanterns.
While pumpkin-carving can be one of the most enjoyable activities of the season, most people are not aware that the craft leads to food waste each year.
Respect Food blog offers some seasonal and delicious ways to get the most mileage out of your pumpkin this October.
Note that while all pumpkins are edible, some are better suited for cooking. For example, jack-o’-lantern pumpkins can be cooked, but other types – like sugar pumpkins – are more enjoyable to eat, says All Recipes.
Carving 101
If you’ve never carved a pumpkin before, it’s quite easy and fun especially for children. You can pick up a pumpkin for just a £3-4 at your local Tesco or Sainsbury’s. Most supermarkets will also sell carving kits with serrated knives and scoopers, but implements from the kitchen at home will work just fine.
Start by cutting a hole in the top of the pumpkin by slicing in a circle around the stem. Then empty out the seeds and stringy membranes. Make sure to separate the seeds from the other guts and save for later.
Then use a large spoon to scoop out the pulp until you reach the whitish inner layer. This process can be quite messy so make sure to lay down newspapers or do it outside if weather permits.
Seeds
Take the seeds you set aside earlier. Pumpkin seeds make a delicious fibre-rich snack when roasted with oil and salt. You can also turn them into a sweeter, seasonal dessert by sprinkling them with cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and butter.
Simply lay them on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast until golden at 180 C, tossing every 10 minutes or so.
Flesh
Pumpkin pulp has endless possibilities in the kitchen, says Respect Food. The velvety, orange pulp can be blended into pumpkin puree and added to ice cream, thrown into cheese sauce to make it lighter, or serve as a special curry ingredient.
It’s also great for a creamy pumpkin soup when cooked with onion, garlic. Respect Food recommends a Thai-inspired recipe that comes together with curry paste, coconut milk, and coriander. For an autumnal version, simmer with chopped apples, honey, rosemary, and thyme.
Skin
Pumpkin skin can also be eaten. You can turn it into a delicious savoury snack by peeling your pumpkin, tossing the scraps in oil and salt, and roasting at 200 C for 30 minutes. Respect Food offers a method for these pumpkin crisps here.
Preserving your lantern
Aside from eating your pumpkin, there are ways to preserve your pumpkin to ensure your jack-o’-lantern can survive all the way to Halloween night.
Pumpkins do best in a moderate climate – bring your jack-o’-lantern inside when it’s freezing or raining, says AccuWeather. Alternatively, you can perch them on an inside window where they can be seen from the street.
To deter bacteria and animals, AccuWeather recommends coating the inside of your carved pumpkin with vegetable oil. This prevents rotting and is an environmentally-friendly way of extending its life.
Composting
Once the season has ended, you can recycle your pumpkins even further by composting them. The entire pumpkin can be turned into fertilizer, says Can I Compost This?, although the tougher rind may take longer to break down than the fleshier insides.
Cut the pumpkin into chunks and simply add it to your compost heap.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community hereand get the latest news sent straight to your messages.