USING ALL PARTS OF THE PUMPKIN

It's pumpkin season! Time to go to the patch, your garden, or the store and pick out a nice pumpkin for carving, decorations, baking, and more. Most of the time, we throw out parts of the pumpkin that we are not using. For example: When we carve a pumpkin, we take the guts and seeds out and just leave the flesh and skin for a month, give or take. Then after halloween, that flesh and skin, is thrown out as well. Why not use all parts of that pumpkin this year? It's better for the environment, use of your money if you bought a pumpkin or went to a patch, and its pretty fun trying new things. So here are some ideas for using all parts of the pumpkin this year.

SEEDS- These are the seeds inside the pumpkin that are usually white. These tiny seeds are full of antioxidants too.

1. Roast the seeds to make a yummy snack to eat

2. Dry the seeds and give them to the birds outside

3. Compost the seeds in your compost bucket

4. Add the seeds to a trail mix to give the mix a fun twist

5. Make some pesto sauce with the seeds

6. Use the seeds in a cookie mix for a unique fall flavor

FLESH- This is the section connected to the skin of the pumpkin. It also is immune boosting and full of vitamins to help your skin and even your eyes.

1. If you are carving the pumpkin, then after you are done with the carved pumpkin, you can compost the flesh

2. Roast the flesh for a dish to a meal

3. Make a pumpkin soup to really get you in the fall mood

4. Make a puree to use in breads, cookies, soups, ect... while baking or cooking

5. The animals in outside love pumpkin flesh, so you could try leaving it outside for the birds and other animals to enjoy.

6. If you know someone with a baby or you have a baby, is can make a good baby food

SKIN- This is the outer layer of the pumpkin Some varieties of pumpkins, you should not eat the skin, so check before you start to eat the skin.

1. Again, if you are using the pumpkin for carving, you can compost the whole thing after you are done with it

2. Pickle the skin

3. Make pumpkin chips by seasoning and roasting it in the oven

GUTS- This is the slimy, stringy section that you pull out when you carve a pumpkin.

1. Make it into a soup base for a pumpkin soup this fall

2. Turn the pumpkin guts into a face mask

3. Bake a pumpkin gut bread or muffins for yourself, friends or family

4. Create a pumpkin body scrub by adding some cane sugar and other smells you desire

5. You can also just compost the guts in your compost bin

STALK- Also known as the stem. This is the hard brown top that the pumpkin was growing from. This part of the pumpkin is not commonly eaten so might be harder for you to work with.

1. Compost the stalk! If you are carving the pumpkin and aren't using the stalk or you are baking the pumpkin, you can always pick this option!

2. Cut the stalk off, let dry and make a new art project with it.

3. Save the stalk to use as a decoration for halloween, thanksgiving, or just Fall all together.

LEAVES- These aren't as common to see on your everyday pumpkin but, if you are using a pumpkin you grew, or you went and picked a pumpkin from a patch, they might still have leaves on them. In Africa and India, you can see the leaves in dishes like soups, ect... You just have to make sure you clean the leaves properly.

1. Add the leaves to your pumpkin soup or another veggie soup.

2. Sauté them and enjoy like collards or spinach.

3. Use the leaves in a pasta recipe. (some Italian pastas will have these added)

4. Freeze the leaves and use throughout a time period of a month

5. Eat the leaves raw like lettuce in a salad.

We hope this post was useful for everyone and we hope that you try out some of these ideas this pumpkin season. Also, pumpkin season is from September to December, so you can use these ideas throughout the whole season of fall and even the beginning of winter! Happy Monday everyone!