How To Stop Scary Pumpkin Waste This Halloween

Our top tips to stop pumpkin food waste

Written by Charlie Gill. Updated 5th October, 2023.

Around 13 million pumpkins will be wasted this Halloween in Britain. Now that is a scary thought.

Even more frightening when it's not only a huge amount of food waste, but also impacting our climate. Without food waste collections across the country, any pumpkins ending up in landfill will create methane, a greenhouse gas, when breaking down. Petrifying.

So how do you stop pumpkin waste? Here are our top recipe & food storage tips for using every part of your pumpkin this Halloween season.

How to cook pumpkin seeds

Turn these into a tasty addition to granolas, add to soups or scoff as a snack on their own.

Simply wash and dry the seeds with a tea towel. Next drizzle the pumpkin seeds with oil, add your favourite spices, spread out on baking paper and roast for 10 mins at 180°C.

If you don't fancy eating them yourself, they make great food for birds and squirrels over the winter months. Repeat as above, without the oil and spices! 

How to cook pumpkin flesh

There are lots of different options for cooking the flesh of your pumpkin whether you've turned it into a jack-o-lantern or not. These are some of our favourites.

1. Roast pumpkin

To roast your pumpkin, peel the skin and cut it into smaller, bites sized cubes. Mix these cubes in a bowl with oil and seasoning. Personally I love to add paprika and chilli flakes. Spread these onto a reusable baking liner and roast at 200°C for 20-30 mins. 

You can use these cubes in any meals, from salads to curries, or even in a pasta bake.

2. Pumpkin soup

Make a delicious pumpkin soup with only 5 ingredients, perfect for warming everyone up this autumn.

Chop an onion and fry it with oil for 5 min. Add 500g of chopped pumpkin chunks and stir for 10 mins.

Next, add 350ml of vegetable stock, season and cook until the pumpkin is soft. Add 75ml of double cream and finally puree with a blender. 

We love this soup with roasted pumpkin seeds on top!

3. Pumpkin pie

In Autumn, no sweet food is quite as delicious as pumpkin pie. You won't believe you were letting your pumpkin go to waste if you haven't made this pie before.

To make this pie, add 750g of chopped pumpkin to water and cook until it's tender. Let the pumpkin cook down and then push it through a sieve to make a puree.

In a separate bowl, mix 140g sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add 2 beaten eggs, 25g of melted butter, and 175ml milk to the sugar mixture and then add in the pumpkin puree.

Pour this mixture onto a shortcrust pastry base and cook for 40-50 mins at 180°C until the filling has set. 

How to store pumpkins

To ensure your pumpkin stays fresh before eating or carving, you should store your pumpkin upside down. Yes, that's right, stalk facing down! Ideally store it in a cool place like a larder or garage, and not directly on the floor to prevent rot. By storing your pumpkin this way, it could last up to 3 months! 

Once you have carved your pumpkin, it will only last a couple of days before it start to rot. Make sure you've planned your recipes in advance.

If there's too much pumpkin to go around, you can even store them in your fridge or freezer to make them last longer. Half of our pumpkin is currently wrapped in a reusable wax wrap in the fridge to stay fresh! For more tips on keeping your food fresher for longer, read our blog on eco-friendly food storage. 

Turn your pumpkin into more than just a scary jack-o-lantern this season, and ensure they fill your stomach with more than fear...

Do you need more inspiration for an eco-friendly Halloween, read our tips on how to have a sustainable Halloween celebration this year.

Which of these recipes will you be cooking to reduce pumpkin waste this Halloween?

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