So, Halloween is over. You have a lot of carved or full decorative pumpkins left from the night of trick or treating. What do you do with it all? We have 17 pumpkin ideas and recipes for you below that will use it all up for you. Remember to carve your pumpkin as close to Halloween as possible so you can chop them up soon afterwards without them spoiling and remove and wax that may have dripped inside if you were using candles.
Tasty Pumkin Recipes
First and foremost, pumpkins are a great source of food, which we sometimes forget once we are done using them as a source of decoration. Here are a few ways you can take advantage of the vitamins and minerals present in our orange Halloween favourite.
Pumpkin mash
A good way to get rid of the bulk of your pumpkin is to mash up its insides, in true Halloween style! It is just as easy as making mashed potato really, with a few extra steps.
- Remove the seeds (save them for some great recipes a little further down)
- Cut up the pumpkin and remove the outer skin (or spoon out the insides so you can keep the hollow pumpkin intact for a few other uses a little further down the page)
- Boil the insides until soft.
- Mash up or puree.
- Add anything you like to season, we love to keep it simple with a little butter, salt, and pepper.
The great thing about this is you can freeze it for up to 6 months, so nothing needs to go to waste. It can accompany many meals, or you can even use it for making pumpkin pie amongst many other dishes.
Pumpkin Pie
Speaking of pumpkin pie…it’s a classic and we hear about it all the time in American television shows. Pumpkin pie is a must try though if you have never had it before. You don’t have to make the pie crust to save on time and can buy one from the supermarket, with some cashback of course.
We found a tasty recipe from simply recipes. So, give it a go and have a nice, sweet treat as the nights are getting colder
Pumpkin Bread and Butter
Didn’t realise you could make bread and butter from pumpkins? Well, you can!
Freshly baked bread is not only a lovely aroma, but it is healthier than shop bought bread and who doesn’t love eating warm bread, the perfect accompaniment to your winter soup or broth. Check out this recipe from King Arthur Baking.
What better to spread on your pumpkin bread than pumpkin butter. Ok so this one takes a bit more time and a few more ingredients. It is healthier than full fat butter though and it’s a lovely, tasty treat. Plus, you can freeze it for up to a year so take a look at fresh preserving’s recipe to make this beautiful spread.
Pumpkin Soup
We think this is everyone’s go to when it comes to what to do with that pumpkin, it was certainly the biggest option for everyone in our office when we asked for their ideas. Tesco have a great homemade recipe for you, plus they also have cashback available too.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds or Pumpkin Seed Pesto
So, we promised we would give you an option for those seeds. Well, we have a couple for you here. The easiest thing to do is probably to roast them. Roasting seed is so simple and gives you a tasty, healthy snack to settle those mid-morning cravings.
- Once removed, wash your seeds, and dry them out as much as possible to get a great crisp when roasted.
- Sprinkle some olive oil onto a baking tray, pop in your seed and sprinkle in some more oil.
- Now the fun part, season with whatever you fancy - salt, garlic, cinnamon, brown sugar. Get creative and try a few different combinations.
- Roast for about 12 to 15 minutes, tossing slightly every 5 minutes at gas mark 4.
- You’ll know they are ready to enjoy when they have nicely browned.
If you fancy something a little different and can get a few more ingredients together why not whip up a tasty pesto with the seeds which you can use on pasta or in salads for a nice healthy, fresh alternative to shop bought dressings.
- Wash and dry your seeds as before.
- Add 1 cup of your pumpkin seeds with 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 3-5 cloves of minced garlic, 1 Tbs of miso, 2 Tbs of nutritional yeast, 3 Tbs of lime juice and ¼ cup of fresh cilantro.
- Blend it all in a mixer and hey presto! You have some pumpkin pesto!
Beauty with Pumpkins
Do you need some self-care this winter? Is your skin feeling the bite in the dropping temperatures or your hair in need of rescue? Then turn to the seasonal pumpkin for your beauty remedies. As we mentioned how healthy it was to eat it is also really helpful for our beauty routine being packed full of antioxidants, zinc, vitamins A and C, fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids.
Pumpkin Face Mask
As everyone’s skin is different, we have not one but three different face mask remedies to alleviate your skin troubles. Let the pumpkin leave it feeling rejuvenated.
For oily skin mix together:
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
- 1 whole egg.
- Apply for 20 minutes then wash off with warm water.
For dry skin mix together:
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- 1 teaspoon honey.
- 1 whole egg
- Apply for 20 minutes then wash off with warm water.
For a general face mask mix together:
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar - for exfoliation.
- 1 tablespoon of honey.
- ½ a cup of yogurt.
- Apply for 10 minutes then wash off warm water.
Pumpkin Lip Scrub
Suffer no more with dry lips in the winter months, the pumpkin is here to help.
Mix together:
- 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin puree.
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil.
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sugar.
- Gently rub into your lips to exfoliate.
We leave it up to you whether to wash it off or just lick it off, just try not to eat the whole batch at once.
Pumpkin Hair Mask
Sometimes we neglect our hair whilst we are busy running around completing all our daily tasks. It fries in the summer sun and stays desperate for moisture in the winter months. You guessed it the pumpkin can help you get your shine back.
Mix together:
- 1 cup of pumpkin.
- 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.
- 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Massage it into your scalp and out to the ends of your hair.
- Wrap your head with a shower cap, towel, or cotton t-shirt.
- Let sit for up to 30 minutes.
- Cleanse hair as usual.
Pumpkin Hand Oil
Ok we admit we stole this idea from The Body Shop’s pumpkin hand cream, which is still fantastic and of course you can get some cashback there. However, this hand oil is really simple to make and leaves your hands feeling really soft too.
Mix together:
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree.
- 1 teaspoon almond or olive oil.
- 1 teaspoon of honey.
- Massage into your hands until it’s all soaked in and enjoy the softness.
Outside with Pumpkins
Love the autumn scene outdoors and want to recreate yours for a little longer or help some wildlife thrive. Then this is your section for pumpkin leftovers.
Feed Wildlife
If you haven’t painted your pumpkins, then you can chop them up or halve them and simply pop them in a local forest or wood for the wildlife to eat. They are deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice and so many other creatures that will benefit from feasting on some tasty pumpkin right now. Be sure to pick somewhere away from houses so as to avoid them being disturbed or invading dwellings. The seeds can act as a natural wormer for animals too, but please do check with a vet before trying to feed anything to your furry companions.
Outdoor Planter
This is so effective and looks really cute to bring a bit of autumn into your garden. Once you have hollowed out your pumpkin all you need to do is poke some holes in the bottom and line with weed fabric or row cover. Fill this with compost and you have yourself a lovely little planter for a variety of beautiful plants. Plus, you can get cashback on this stuff here.
Pumpkin Bird Feeder
If you love seeing a variety of birds and creatures in your garden, then this bird feeder is the way to go. It isn’t too complicated to do and could give you a beautiful variety of birds to gaze upon.
Here is how to get your very own pumpkin bird feeder:
- Scoop out the seeds, leaving a with 1/2-inch-thick shell wall.
- Insert two sticks across the open pumpkin to create perches for the birds.
- Knot two lengths of rope together at the centre and tack the knot to the bottom of the pumpkin feeder. Hang the other ends of the rope in your chosen feeder location.
- Fill with birdseed.
- You may need to repeat this process to make it easier for the birds to access as they eat the top of the pumpkin, or alternatively just cut a small hole in the side for them to enter to get to the bottom.
Compost Your Pumpkin
Composting is great for fertilising your garden and using up those extra bits of food we don’t cook with that ultimately end up in the bin. Your pumpkin will make a great addition on top of that pile if it is a little too mouldy to be eaten. For more information on composting have a look at the RHS website who have advice on everything you will need and how to best go about starting.
Plant Your Pumpkin Seeds
Don’t want to eat your seeds but do want more pumpkins. Then keep your seeds safe and plant them from late May to early summer the next year.
Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and remember to improve the soil with compost before planting. Feed and water regularly, wait for the stem to crack and the skin is tough, and you’ve grown your very own pumpkin. After picking you may need to leave your pumpkins to harden a little before eating but they can be stored for 6 to 8 months ready for Halloween all over again.
This way you get the magic of watching them grow and checking how big they have gotten each week; you can even turn it into a fun activity for the children and get them interested in growing things themselves outside.
Activities
Want to just have some fun with the kids or child-like adults with the rest of your pumpkins first? Go ahead, we have plans for that too.
Pumpkin Bowling
All you need for this is some empty plastic bottles, spare rope, and sand. We recommend either putting a sheet down or playing this game outside as it can get messy!
Half fill the bottles with sand and strengthen with some rope around the middle, these will be your pins. Then cut some holes in the pumpkin big enough for the player and you are all set to go. Roll the pumpkin and see how many pins you can knock over.
Pumpkin Boats
If you have a lot of smaller pumpkins hanging around then they can make great boats. We know we hear you; this sounds weird but stick with us. It’s a great way to help kids have some fun or for adults to have a little contest with how full they can get their boat.
So, all you have to do is cut the top off and take out the pumpkin seeds. You can hollow out a little of the flesh but make sure they still float before taking too much away. Then pop them in a bath or sink, any water really and see what will float in your boat and what will sink.
Pumpkin Painting
Pumpkins, painting, active art… who wouldn’t love this? So here is how you do it:
- Tape a long piece of paper to the ground (again best to do this one outside it might get messy)
- Fill some paper plates with different bright coloured paints.
- Roll the pumpkin in the paint.
- Roll the paint smattered pumpkin down the paper.
Experiment with other Autumn items such as leaves and pine cones to fill out the page and teach you little ones about the lovely Autumn season at the same time.
Pumpkin Bowls
Ok one extra one just for you guys. Did you know you can make pumpkin bowls and it is really easy to do it?
For the perfect bowl for your spiced soup or broth just go follow these steps:
- Hollow out you pumpkin and place on a baking tray lined with tin foil.
- Brush the inside and top with vegetable oil and season however you wish.
- Bake for 35 minutes at gas mark 4.
- You are ready to serve!
So, there you have it, there is so much you can do with a pumpkin so please don’t just throw them away. Have some fun and let us know what you are doing with yours, we love to hear your ideas and always love trying new things.
Also if you haven't already pleadse take advantage of our free pumpkin offer with our snap and save deal.
