Did you know that in the United States, over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are tossed out each year? That is 1 billion pounds thrown into landfills every year! That’s an absolutely crazy number to me. How can you do your part to cut back on this?

Pumpkins are worth far more than just throwing them away, so let’s talk about how to use your carved pumpkins after Halloween has ended. These tips will help you make a difference and you can put these pumpkins to good use!

How to Use Your Carved Pumpkins

Roast The Seeds 

Don’t throw those seeds out!! Have you ever had roasted pumpkin seeds? They are delicious! There are different ways to roast them so check out some recipes and find your favorites!

Use The Stringy Insides for Broth

You can use the stringy insides of the pumpkin to create a vegetable broth. Broth like this can be saved in the freezer to be used later. It’s delicious and makes a great base or addition to your favorite fall soups. 

Use it to Make Pumpkin Flavored Goodies

I can’t be the only one who loves enjoying some pumpkin flavored goodies during the fall months. I like to use the pumpkins in all ways that I can to make pumpkin muffins, brownies, pancakes, coffee cakes and so much more. YUM!!

Compost It

Composting is a great way to make sure your unused food doesn’t go to waste. If you have a garden, you will be amazed at how much composting can help your crops grow. 

One fun way to use your pumpkin in a composting type way is to use the pumpkin as a planter. While the pumpkin breaks down, it adds nutrients to the plant it is housing and helps it to grow