Nothing says Halloween like carving a jack-o-lantern…but what do you do with that pumpkin once trick or treating is completed?
Pumpkins!
- For easy and environmental friendly disposal, toss that bad boy in your compost heap. It will decompose quickly and give your plants tons of nutrients next year.
- Don’t toss those seeds! Sprinkle them with salt and olive oil and pop in the oven for a few minutes and you’ve got yourself one delicious snack to eat while watching football.
- If you don’t want to go through the hassle of carving the pumpkin, let your kids decoupage it or use markers to decorate it. That way you can still cook with the innards when Halloween is over.
- Provided you don’t carve the pumpkin, you can use them as soup bowls. If it is carved, place a plastic bowl inside and fill that bowl with ice and you’ve got yourself one festive beverage cooler for your Halloween party!
- Pumpkin puree freezes well and will keep for up to one year in your freezer. That’s great news if you’re in charge of Thanksgiving dinner.
- You can dry your pumpkin and make pumpkin leather, bowls, instruments, bird houses, etc. A pumpkin is a gourd, so the same basic principles apply.
- If your pumpkin has been outside and you don’t feel comfortable bringing it in the house after Halloween, have your kids smash it (safely, of course!) and scatter the pieces in your local forest preserve. Even if they don’t act as food, they will decompose there.
Knowledge is power! Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.
The Hob-bee Hive 