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How to Reuse and Recycle Your Pumpkin
One of the best things about autumn is the myriad of pumpkins available for carving and decorating. However, after a few weeks of sitting around, these gourds begin to dry out and sag. In today’s world of repurposing or recycling, there’s always another use for an old pumpkin, whether it is using it as part of a recipe or for an earth-friendly recycling project. Keep some of these ideas in mind when you are done using this year’s harvest pumpkins.
Donate to Local Zoo
Many local zoos and farms accept donations of carved, leftover or used pumpkins to feed the animals. Each site has its own rules regarding the contributions, but they typically want pumpkins that are undecorated. They are then used for animals to munch on or made into enrichment items such as food containers for geese, play toys for tigers or carved puzzles for meerkats.
Make a Bird Feeder
Creating a pumpkin bird feeder is a great environmentally safe supplement to regular bird feeders. They can easily be made by cutting an average size pumpkin in half horizontally and scooping out the insides leaving a half-inch rind. Around the rim, cut a groove to place the pumpkin seeds. Use two sticks as perches and insert them through four evenly spaced holes. Tie a knot in two pieces of twine together to hang the pumpkin from a tree branch. Fill the pumpkin with birdseed.
Use as Compost
Composting is probably the best way to give back to the environment and is a great way to repurpose your Halloween jack-o-lantern. After removing excess seeds, candles, wax and other decorations, place the pumpkin in a low-traffic spot in your yard. Cover with leaves and let nature take its course.
Roast the Pumpkin Seeds
If you are using your pumpkin for compost or a bird feeder, make sure to save the seeds to bake. Roasting pumpkin seeds is a long-standing tradition that many eagerly await each year. To roast the perfect seeds, make sure to rinse them first in cold water and remove all strands and strings. Boil the seeds for 10 minutes in salt water, drain and dry lightly with a paper towel. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes at 325 degrees stirring once half-way through.
If this recipe is a little too simple for your taste, you could always try a tasty pumpkin seed recipe like sweet and spicy or cinnamon maple pumpkin seeds.
Baking with Pumpkin
Many markets sell cooking pumpkins that are great to use as decorations, but not necessarily for carving. You can also use canned pumpkin puree if cooking pumpkins isn’t available. Some great recipes to make with fresh pumpkin include homemade bread or the ever-popular pumpkin cheesecake. This simple pumpkin cheesecake recipe has cooks blending the pureed pumpkin with cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and eggs, and then placing the batter into a ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust. Top with whipped topping and refrigerate and you have a quick and easy treat to serve on a chilly autumn afternoon.
Whether you decide to use one, or several, of these ideas – they’re all great ways to reuse and recycle your pumpkin this fall.
Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer from Southern California who loves finding ways technology can make life easier. She enjoys sharing her tips and tricks with readers. Follow her on Twitter.