Pumpkins

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I saw this article today and wondered how many members here use up at least portions of any pumpkins you get around this time of year,
Turns Out Pumpkins Are Primarily Grown to End Up as Landfill Waste After Halloween



We roast the seeds, and use up a lot of the pumpkin for bread and soups. And at least for a week or so (and if Milly is constipated!), we can use some pumpkin to put in Milly's food.

How about you guys?

 

[LTS3]

The local SPCA takes pumpkins used for decorations as enrichment and food for the farm animals

 

[muffy]

The local SPCA takes pumpkins used for decorations as enrichment and food for the farm animals

More places need to do that instead of wasting the pumpkins.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I've never used pumpkins for Halloween. When I was a kid we had turnip lanterns in Lancashire tradition. Nothing was wasted the middle was cooked and eaten.

 

[Winchester]

What I always do with my apple discards, the skins and seeds, is throw them up in the back yard for deer and raccoons and groundhogs to munch on. Same with pumpkins and squashes. Most of the discards will go into our compost pile, but there's a spot in the back yard where the deer love to visit. That's where the apples and squashes go. Sometimes, we get lucky and the animals will come around as dusk falls and we can watch. That doesn't always happen. But I like to think they appreciate the scraps.

We don't decorate with pumpkins, but when I buy pie pumpkins and such, I use them for the puree and the roasted seeds.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Long ago, when Mr. Pushpurr and I were in our '20s, we used to host pumpkin carving parties. A lot of fun, 15 or 20 people having a carving contest, but each of us usually made jack o'lanterns out of 2 or 3 pumpkins. Then they went on display at our various abodes -- then into the city dumpsters after the holiday (to hide them away from the city rats, mice, opossums, and raccoons) -- and then on to the land fills. This was before our city really doubled down on recycling and composting, etc. Lately we do one or none pumpkins each year.

 

[susanm9006]

I usually buy a pumpkin every year, not to carve but for the pumpkin seeds. Home roasted pumpkins seeds are just the best. I boil the seeds in heavily salted water for fifteen minutes, drain them and let them dry on parchment paper. When they are fairly dry I toss them in a little salad oil, spread them on a cookie she and bake them until they just start to brown.

The pumpkin itself I will toss outside for the critters to munch on.

 

[muffy]

I didn't feel like making much for dinner so I made a pimiento cheese sandwich with toasted organic whole grain bread. It hit the spot.

 

[Willow's Mom]

My favourite day to buy pumpkins is November 1. They're dirt cheap, sometimes free. Mom taught me that you can use a single pumpkin as both Jack O'Lantern and Thanksgiving pie filling, but the last time I posted her instructions on an internet forum, it seemed to really upset some kids who aren't upset by all that wasted food.

Oh well.

I got three good sized pumpkins this year. Usually I roast the seeds because they are delicious, but I've got dental problems and carnivorous (fur) children now so I just put them in my dehydrator--not tasty, but they'll keep and can be ground up for health benefits:

Are Pumpkin Seeds Safe for Cats?

Pumpkin seeds aren't just safe for your kitty to eat, they're beneficial to her health, too. Pumpkin seeds work as a natural remedy for some digestion-related health problems. You can also serve pumpkin seeds to your cat as an occasional healthy, tasty treat alternative to her normal cat kibble.

pets.thenest.com

To Shell or Not To Shell—8 Top Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are nutritious and might promote heart and sleep health. Learn about possible benefits, risks, and ways to consume pumpkin seeds.

www.health.com

I have two cups worth. The pumpkins themselves I cook in the oven at the lowest possible setting overnight. It makes the whole house smell delicious! Processing them is a bit of work, but I only do that once a year. I freeze the pumpkin for pies and muffins throughout the year and if you're really nice to me, I'll make you some pumpkin butter!

Pumpkin Butter

This pumpkin butter recipe is easy to make with a large can of pumpkin purée, spices, apple juice, and sugar. Makes a great holiday gift!

www.allrecipes.com

That's what's wrong with you kids these days; you don't eat enough squash.