Leftover pumpkin after Halloween - any ideas?

zaxdog · 31 October 2022 at 7:27PM

Rosa_Damascena said:

Smoosh said:

We don't use carving pumpkins as they tend not to taste very nice.

We have a small selection of pumpkins we've grown. After Halloween, we'll use these for pumpkin soup, pumpkin chilli and halloumi risotto and pumpkin pie. I also like to make pumpkin dog treats and pureed pumpkin is great to keep frozen for dogs too in case of upset tummies.

For carving pumpkins, a nice idea is to leave them out for wildlife to eat.

We'll use the seeds to grow more pumpkins for next year.

Encourage rats, you mean?

I cannot get over the size of and violence of seagulls these days! I saw one at least a mile inland this afternoon, eating a healthy meal outside a chippie.

WE have intruded into and destroyed their habitats so they will search out food and nesting spaces where they can find it.

Please don't out pumpkins out for wildlife as they are really bad for hedgehogs and can mean that they don't survive the winter. Either compost or if you can't do that wedge them up in the branches of a tree for squirrels who do eat them.

liberty_lily · 31 October 2022 at 7:34PM

We usually grow our own pumpkins, but with all the work we've been doing on the house, we didn't get round to it this year. Instead we bought a large one (£1.75 from Tesco) but after only two days - before I'd had a chance to carve it - it went mouldy ☹️ So I'm afraid it went straight in the food waste bin.

Viking_mfw · 31 October 2022 at 10:31PM

We got two (very) large carving pumpkins from Aldi and the flesh smelled really sweet. We have made and eaten this weekend: pumpkin and bacon soup; pumpkin and sausage pasta bake; pumpkin cake; pumpkin pancakes; pumpkin chocolate chip cookies; and "pizza" roasted pumpkin seeds which were extremely moreish. (Half a cup cleaned dry seeds, one teaspoon of oil, then mixed in with a tablespoon of grated parmesan, a tsp of basil, tsp of oregano, one eighth tsp garlic powder, pinch of salt, roast at 160 for 20 to 30 minutes)

sarah1972 · 1 November 2022 at 9:25AM

I made spicy pumpkin soup

Katiehound · 1 November 2022 at 10:30AM

Just seen this- 45 recipes in all

https://www.hubbub.org.uk/pages/category/halloween

only 1 in 9 pumpkins get eaten!

includes pumpkin & coconut cake, pumpkin & feta filo rolls, pumpkin & raisin loaf. Lots look yummy- wish I had a pumpkin!!!

pigpen · 3 November 2022 at 11:30PM

Hang them in trees for birds and squirrels but DO NOT leave them on the ground. They encourage rats and also kill hedgehogs.. they become poorly, lose weight and die during hibernation.

They are not suitable for human as grown to be carved and binned.

hannerrbabes · 8 November 2022 at 10:46PM

We chose 4 smaller pumpkins from the pumpkin patch this year and I turned them into pumpkin and carrot soup. I'd never tried pumpkin before and it tasted great! That's my WFH lunch sorted for a couple days. ☺️

elizabethhull · 9 November 2022 at 1:02AM

I saw a lovely large pumpkin in Asda for only £2 this year. Our children have left home, so no carving intended. I cut it, deseeded it and cut into big strips, which I then roasted. Once cool, I took the flesh off the pieces and put into takeaway containers for freezing,
So far we've used one to mix with the mashed potato of a cottage pie & it was very tasty. Don't understand why some people are not finding them good to eat.

DextersMum · 9 November 2022 at 1:27AM

I gave a pumpkin (which hadn’t been carved) to a friend for her chickens who apparently love them 🤗

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Leftover pumpkin after Halloween - any ideas?

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