This time of year, I often find myself asking, Now what am I to do with all these pumpkins?! Well luckily, pumpkins aren’t just great for Halloween…in fact there are a plethora of uses for pumpkins after trick-or-treaters are long gone. Here are 5!
1. Pumpkin recipes
Okay, so the most obvious use for pumpkins after Halloween, is of course to make yummy recipes! From pumpkin pie and bread, to pumpkin-flavored pancakes and ravioli, the possibilities are endless.
To make the pumpkin puree for these recipes, start by cutting your pumpkin in half and simply scoop out the seeds and insides. Place your pumpkin cut-side down in a baking dish with about a cup of water, and bake for about 90 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Finally scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor. Voila! Then try one of these yummy treats:
2. Pumpkin Face Mask
That’s right! Because Pumpkins are rich in zinc and vitamins (A, C and E) they make a healthy (and great smelling) skin mask. A few teaspoons of pumpkin purée, brown sugar, and a splash of milk will naturally exfoliate your skin. Mix it all together and apply to your face in circular motions. Then relax for 15-20 minutes, allowing that pumpkin goodness to seep in!
3. Pumpkin Bird Feeder
Martha Stewart has an easy tutorial on making a bird feeder from a pumpkin — amazing way to recycle that carved or uncarved pumpkin for nature’s sake!
4. Pumpkin Planter
Yep. Put that pumpkin to good use in your garden or kitchen! Simply carve a hole in the middle and fill up with your favorite fall blooms. Super easy!
5. Thanksgiving Centerpieces
Finally, if you want to move on to the next festive holiday around the corner, remember that you can re-use your small to mid-sized pumpkins and gourds to make decorative Thanksgiving centerpieces. Better Homes & Gardens has some fabulous decorating ideas for sprucing up a table.
There you go. Pumpkins are pretty handy after all ;)!
What do YOU do with pumpkins after Halloween? Please share your thoughts!
Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.
I turn mine into a turkey. Years ago at a craft fair, I bought a set of painted wooden feathers and a turkey neck that you just poke into the pumpkin, so I can use my pumpkin clear until Thanksgiving. Birds love to eat the seeds, as we discovered one year when we did that “barfing” pumpkin thing and then discovered all the seeds had been eaten by hungry birds. So you can just break it open and leave it out in the side yard for the birds to discover. Also, cows LOVE to eat them, so if you have a dairy nearby, you can bring your pumpkins over and break them open for the cows to eat. My husband’s farmer uncle used to do that. #SITSSharefest
Thanks for the comment Adrian! I never thought of that — such a clever, fun idea!!
I love the pumpkin bird feeder. What a clever idea! Thanks for stopping by from SITS. 🙂