We’ll all soon be carving pumpkins at this time of year. However, when the scary faces are made and the jack-o-lantern sits on the windowsill – what can we do with the innards of the pumpkin? Well, here are some solutions:

1) Pumpkin Pie:

Once you carve something silly or scary into a pumpkin, you shouldn’t let the innards go to waste. Why not make your very own pumpkin puree? You can bake a homemade pumpkin pie using it. Pumpkin has a nutty flavor that pairs well with nutmeg and cinnamon for a delicious aroma lingering around your home. Get the details on Foodal.com for the most incredible puree

2) Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty and healthy snack full of fiber and nutrition. This is why you were advised not to toss them when you carve out a pumpkin.

To make your seeds truly crispy, just clean them all out of the flesh before boiling them for about 10 minutes. Spread them out over a baking tray before drizzling them with oil and sprinkling them with salt. Bake them for 10 minutes at 175F, but stir them occasionally to be sure they do not burn.

If you’re not keen on actually eating them yourself, remember that birds love them. Clean the seeds out of your pumpkin flesh before letting them dry out on a flat surface. Then just lay them out for your birds outside. Just make sure you don’t season them.

You might even choose to keep a few of the seeds to the side so you can plant them when the temperatures start warming back up. Read more about what it takes to grow an edible garden of your own.

3) Pumpkin Soup:

Making a nice batch of some pumpkin soup for your fridge or freezer means you have something handy later on a busy day, and it might just be the most efficient use for your carved pumpkin.

4) Pumpkin-Infused Vegetable Stock:

If you use both the seeds and flesh from your pumpkin, you might be wondering what to do with those stringy insides that you might just typically compost. Try adding them to other various veggie scraps which accumulate in your fridge so you can make a flavorful veggie stock. It’s a great way to use wrinkly carrots and onion ends. You might even freeze a lot of it for use later on in the winter.