Now that Halloween is over and all the witches and ghosts and superheroes and video game characters and the “what the heck was that” have gone back from whence they came, now is the time to figure out what to do with the pumpkins.
And I mean “now”. I usually can’t figure out what to do with the pumpkins. Or we debate it long enough that they finally take care of it on their own, starting to turn into little piles of goo that get shoveled into the green bin, never to be seen again.
Since they are very willing to reduce themselves to little piles of goo, composting them is always an option. It doesn’t take them long. Unlike the big piles of leaves, pumpkins will be ready to start enriching your garden by spring, or close to it.
But what else can they be used for?
Any that have not yet been carved still have seeds in them. Roasted pumpkin seeds can be not only tasty, but a good snack to get you through a hockey game. But then you still have pumpkin left.
I suppose they could be turned into some sort of pumpkin puree, which can also turn into other things. Pie, bread, a latte. There are probably many things which can feature pumpkin as an ingredient.
Or they can be sliced and used as bird feeders. Or squirrel feeders. Although either of those are likely to also become raccoon feeders. I like birds. I don’t mind squirrels. However I am not big on the idea of having the neighbourhood trash pandas think my back yard is an all you can eat buffet. I can tolerate raccoons. They just can be rather annoying at times. And when they’re around, the dog keeps demanding to go out. She is of the belief raccoons look best at the top of trees. I don’t disagree, but the constant opening and closing of the door gets a bit tiresome.
I suppose I could build a catapult and try to send my pumpkin to join the billionaire space club. But while that would be fun, the actual construction would probably take too long. Although then I’d have a pumpkin launcher for years to come.
There are many options. But I have to decide soon. The days of the goo pile are looming.
