7 Things to Do With Your Pumpkins After Halloween

About Nicole Pajer

Nicole Pajer is a Los Angeles-based freelance published in The New York Times, Woman's Day, AARP, Parade, Wired, Glamour, People and more.

Do you have an annual tradition of going to the local pumpkin patch or grocery store to purchase a pumpkin for Halloween? Maybe you carve it. Maybe you paint it. Maybe you just sit it out on your porch or kitchen counter for a little holiday decorative flair. But as soon as Halloween ends, you’re stuck with some pumpkins and no idea what to do with them. Sure, you could toss them in the trash, but it’s not the most environmentally friendly maneuver.

When pumpkins end up in landfills where they release methane as they break down. Thus, if you can find a way to reuse them, you’ll be doing the earth a big favor.

Here are 7 things to do with your pumpkins instead this November 1st.

1. Compost it

Have a composting bin or pile? Chop up your pumpkin and add it to it. When composted, pumpkins can be great for helping your plants or garden grow. Before composting a pumpkin, remove any decor, taking off things like ribbons, candles and decorations. Then, cut your pumpkin into smaller pieces and add to your bin. You can also chop up the pumpkins into small pieces and bury them into your garden and do it that way.

Note: It’s not recommended to compost pumpkins that you painted or decorated with things like glitter.

2. Create a birdfeeder

Scoop out the pumpkin, fill it with seeds and set it out for the birds to enjoy. You can hang it from a tree with twine or set it on the ground. Put sticks or chopsticks into the side to create little perches for birds to sit on. Just be mindful that if a larger animal like a squirrel can get to it, they may be likely to run off with it.

3. Donate to farms or zoos

Have you ever gone to the zoo the day after Halloween? It’s a really cute time to visit. Zookeepers often put pumpkins inside the animal’s habitats and let them enjoy them as a special treat. Call up your local zoo or farm and see if they are interested in taking your pumpkins for special animal treats. Then inquire about how you can drop them off.

4. Roast the pumpkin seeds

This only applies to pumpkins that you sat out for the holiday that you didn’t carve, as once you carve a pumpkin it’s not considered sanitary to eat. But whole pumpkins that you have leftover from displaying for the holiday can definitely be used for eating. Take the pumpkin seeds out and toast them for a delicious snack. Try this healthy recipe that combines the seeds, extra virgin olive oil and salt.

5. Make a pumpkin pie

Cut your pumpkin into halves, scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp, then season the insides with salt. Place it face down on a baking tray and pop it in the oven, remove and puree it and you’ve got the base of a delicious pumpkin pie. Try this recipe to take it from there!

6. Keep around for Thanksgiving

If you have pumpkins that you didn’t carve, you don’t have to toss them immediately after Halloween. Keep them out for the remainder of the fall. You can also turn them into a nice centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table incorporating things like dried leaves and fresh flowers. Try this centerpiece idea that incorporates a pumpkin as a vase to hold seasonal fall flowers.

7. Make a pumpkin face mask

Pumpkins contain vitamin A, vitamin C, natural fruit enzymes, alpha hydroxy acids and zinc, which are all great ingredients for your skin. Pureed into a face mask, it has properties that can help encourage collagen production, brighten and smooth skin. Cut a pumpkin in half, boil it for 20 minutes, then puree it and let it cool. Combine that with honey, milk and cinnamon and you’ve made yourself a soothing face mask. For the full recipe, click here.