{"id":67595,"date":"2025-10-23T13:19:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=67595"},"modified":"2025-10-23T13:19:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:19:49","slug":"recycle-devon-is-encouraging-households-to-rescue-their-pumpkins-from-going-to-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/recycle-devon-is-encouraging-households-to-rescue-their-pumpkins-from-going-to-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Recycle Devon is encouraging households to rescue their pumpkins from going to waste"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a0At Halloween, 30.4 million pumpkins are bought for carving, and of these, a whopping 15.8 million will go to waste, left uneaten. That\u2019s \u00a326.7 million worth of edible food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pumpkins are edible, and studies have found that three in five know that you can eat your carving pumpkin. However, only one in nine of us always do (Hubbub).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pumpkins are so much more than just Halloween decorations. They’re tasty, versatile, cheap, nutritious, delicious, grow abundantly in the UK, and can be cooked many ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have seen pumpkins in shops labelled \u2018carving pumpkins\u2019, but don\u2019t let the sticker lead you astray- these pumpkins are perfectly edible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carving pumpkins have been bred to be large, thin fleshed and robust. They tend to be more watery and fibrous<\/a> than other types, so the carvings are best suited for bulking out soups and stews, with a flavoursome stock cube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can eat all of the pumpkin – except for its stalk! Whether you can eat the skin or not depends on the variety. Smaller varieties such as onion squash have deliciously edible skin, the skin of larger varieties may be too tough to eat or less than appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flesh<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the part attached to the skin and is perfect for soups and curries. The flesh of smaller pumpkins, squash and gourds is best suited for pies, breads and cakes – although it\u2019s also delicious in a soup. Smaller pumpkins tend to be more flavoursome, less fibrous and less watery. Remember this when shopping and you\u2019ll be away. There\u2019s no reason not to carve a range of squash and gourds. Variety is the pumpkin spice of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Guts – the slimy stuff<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you can use that stringy slimy stuff in the middle of the pumpkin: put it in a pan with plenty of water and boil it to make a thin broth. Strain the broth, then mix it with apple or orange juice and mulling spices for an aromatic autumnal warmer. You can also use pumpkin broth as a base for soups. Just add carrot, celery and other vegetable trimmings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Seeds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t throw away those seeds. They are not only tasty with soups and salads and a convenient snack, they are also a wonderfully nutritious food that’s very rich in zinc. They also contain plant compounds known as phytosterols, and free-radical scavenging antioxidants, which can give your health an added boost. Simmer them in salted water for 10 minutes and then bake in a hot oven until brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Recycle Devon on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> over the Halloween period for tips and ideas on how to #EatYourPumpkin, including how to decorate your pumpkin instead of carving it, and recipes for using the scooped out pumpkin innards, flesh and seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Ruth Williams,\u00a0 Chair of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee, said: <\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cCarving pumpkins for decoration has become a very popular part of Halloween, but we\u2019ve forgotten their true purpose \u2013 dinner! If you\u2019re buying a pumpkin to carve this year, remember to use the innards to create nutritious and tasty meals and snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Cllr\r\n
\r\n \t Councillor Ruth Williams,\u00a0 Chair of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee (Exeter City Council) <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

If you have a food waste collection, don\u2019t forget to put your pumpkin in your food waste container once Halloween is over – check here to see if your local authority provides a food waste collection.<\/a> Or chop your pumpkin up and put it in your home compost bin.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as throwing away food, did you know 4 in 10 Halloween costumes are thrown away after only one wear? Bring an outfit back from the dead by repurposing it into a Halloween costume, or swap costumes you no longer wear with friends and family. You can donate, swap or rehome your Halloween costumes at your local participating Devon library during October.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about reducing, reusing and recycling in Devon, visit www.recycledevon.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":859,"featured_media":67596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7,34,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children-families-and-education","category-community","category-environment-and-climate-change"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":67596,"title":"Copy of hero image for news website 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