Halloween is approaching, and with it come the traditional illuminated pumpkins, carved with scary eyes and mouths to decorate houses. But after preparing the decorations, what happens to the pulp and seeds that remain?
Celebrated on October 31, Halloween is an opportunity to unleash creativity, but also to adopt more sustainable habits. The pumpkin, the star of the night, is a versatile food that can be used in soups, purées, jams and even desserts. In addition, it is low in calories and contains carotenoids, potassium and fiber.
This year, DECO PROteste challenges consumers to transform the moment of the bread for God, known as “trick or treat,” into an opportunity to combat food waste, with six tips to make the most of the pumpkin, from choosing to the fate of the leftovers.
- Choose the pumpkin wisely
Before preparing the decorations or the recipes, choose a pumpkin with a shiny skin and no imperfections. At home, keep it whole in a dry and ventilated place to prolong its shelf life. If you opt to buy pumpkin already cut, avoid pieces that show signs of dryness, as they may have been cut some time ago.
- Prepare the lantern without waste
The traditional Halloween lantern, known as a jack-o’-lantern, is made from a pumpkin carved with eyes and a mouth, typically lit from the inside with candles.
Before you start carving, wash the pumpkin well and use clean utensils. Remove the pulp and seeds you intend to use and set them aside immediately for use in the kitchen. In this way, you can prepare the decoration and, at the same time, make use of the edible parts of the food.
After it is displayed as a decoration, the carved pumpkin should not be consumed due to the risk of contamination and deterioration.
- Turn the pulp into a tasty recipe
The pulp removed during the lantern preparation can be transformed into a dessert to share with the family. DECO PROteste suggests a simple pumpkin pie recipe that yields 12 servings.
Ingredients:
- 450 g pumpkin;
- 1 pre-made shortcrust pastry;
- 200 g brown sugar;
- 200 ml cream;
- 2 eggs;
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon;
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg;
- 2 tablespoons grated almond;
- ½ teaspoon salt.
Preparation: Boil the pumpkin in water, drain and blend until smooth. In a bowl, mix it with the sugar, the salt, the cream, the eggs, the cinnamon, the nutmeg and the almond. Line a tart tin with the shortcrust pastry, spread the filling and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ºC for about 30 minutes. Remove when the pie is golden and a toothpick inserted into the filling comes out clean.
- Don’t throw away the seeds
The pumpkin seeds can also be used. After removing them, wash them, let them dry, season with a small amount of salt, and bake in the oven until roasted.
In this way, you turn something that could end up in the trash into a simple snack and avoid wasting an edible part of the food.
- Store the pumpkin leftovers properly
If you do not use all the pulp, refrigerate it, properly covered, and consume it in a short period. Alternatively, you can peel it, cut it into pieces and freeze them in portions suitable to your needs.
Freezing helps prolong storage and have pumpkin available to prepare soups, purées and other dishes, even after Halloween.
- Give the pumpkin scraps the right destination
Even after making use of the pulp and seeds, there may be parts of the pumpkin left that are no longer suitable for consumption, such as the shell used for decoration.
If you have a compost bin at home, you can send these leftovers to composting, provided they are free of paints, glitter, plastics or other decorative materials. Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces to facilitate decomposition.
If you don’t have a compost bin, check whether your municipality offers selective collection of biowaste and which materials are accepted. This way, the organic leftovers can be valued rather than ending up in mixed waste.
The real trick may be food waste. Using the pulp to prepare recipes, turning the seeds into a snack and properly preserving leftover foods are small gestures that allow you to get the most from the pumpkin and prevent it from ending up in the trash unnecessarily. DECO PROteste reminds us that celebrating more sustainably does not require giving up traditions, but rather finding ways to give them new meaning. From choosing the pumpkin to making use of its leftovers, each gesture helps reduce food waste and promote a more responsible use of resources.
