Carving Jack-O'-Lanterns? Here's What You Should Do With All Of Those Pumpkin Guts
Tis the season of pumpkin carving, flickering lights, and Halloween-themed candy, and if you are a fan of carving your own jack-o'-lanterns, you might find yourself with more pumpkin guts on your hands than you know what to do with. Sure, you can throw those orange, slimy, seed-filled strings straight into the rubbish, but if you are feeling thrifty, why not check out some of the ideas below and discover a potentially wonderful way to upcycle this October. You probably don't want to use the innards in your traditional pumpkin pie or loaf — we'd recommend sticking to your favorite tin of pumpkin purée or making your own from a sweeter variety of pumpkin — but there are a few other great uses for that pumpkin pulp.
Roast the seeds
The first thing you should do to make roasted pumpkin seeds is separate the seeds from all the rest of the mess. Rinse the seeds and then simply roast them with your favorite spices (or just olive oil and salt) in a 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes.
Make a face mask
The bright orange pumpkin guts are full of vitamins A and C, which make a great face mask for your skin. Once the seeds have been remove, blend the guts together with your favorite DIY face mask ingredients like honey, yoghurt or olive oil for a perfectly gloppy face-adhering mixture.
Make pumpkin juice
The Kitchn suggests using pumpkin innards to make your own pumpkin juice. Simply pour boiling water over the stringy orange mess, mash everything together, and strain. The resulting pumpkin "stock" can be used in sauces, soups, or risottos. You might even try it with lemon juice and maple syrup, shaken and served over ice for a thirst-quenching autumnal beverage.
Make dog treats
Add the blended pumpkin guts (minus the seeds) to your favorite dog treat recipe to give your furry friends an extra boost of vitamins! Try this recipe and simply omit the banana so that the mixture is not too wet.
Make a body scrub
Just like with a face mask, a body scrub made with kitchen ingredients like blended pumpkin guts, sugar, coconut oil, and a few of your favorite fall spices (pumpkin spice perhaps?) will leave your skin soft, exfoliated, and smelling of autumn.
Who knew you could do so much with the innards of your jack-o'-lantern? That supermarket pumpkin purée is also astoundingly versatile, so for more pumpkin inspiration, consider these 25 things you didn't know you could make with canned pumpkin.