The pumpkin you’re carving to put on your porch is full of tricks and treats. It’s a jack-o-lantern-of-all-trades, so to speak, and it’s time to put those leftover pumpkin guts to good use. Here are four things to do with the inside of a pumpkin:
1. Roast the seeds
The most time-consuming part of carving a pumpkin is scraping out the seeds and stringy guts. Don’t toss all of that hard work in the garbage. Instead, separate the seeds from the strings, rinse, dry and then toss the seeds with some olive oil and roast in the oven until they’re golden brown. Add some seasoning and eat them as-is, or add them to granola or toss them in a salad.
2. Stamp it up
Use the cutout pumpkin pieces to make stamps. Cut off any strings, then carve a shape or initial or just use as-is. The cutout stem of a pumpkin makes a great stamp, too.
3. Make a puree
There is always one pumpkin that doesn’t make the cut (read: you didn’t have enough time to carve). Put it to good use by making puree. Simply chop up the pumpkin, scrap out the seeds and strings, then roast until fork tender. Cut off the skin, then throw the chunks into a blender or food processor until smooth. Use it to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter and more.
4. Get crafty
If you don’t care for pumpkin seeds, let your kids use the washed and dried seeds to make Halloween-themed craft projects. The seeds can be glued, painted and glittered in the shape of a ghost or bat or, of course, a pumpkin.