My husband helped the kiddos carve our jack-o-lantern last night. Honestly, I don't know why we go to the effort every year because they kids never help. They both think it's gross and stinky. They do like the finished product, just not the actual scooping and carving process. Oh well. I guess we just keep hoping that one year they'll actually find it fun.
So, after your jack-o-lantern glows for three or four nights, now what do you do with the pumpkin? Well, you could do what some of my neighbors do and let it simply rot on the porch. (Personally, I'd vote against that smelly option!) Most people probably just throw the pumpkin in the trash and think nothing of it. Instead, this year, why not let your orange pumpkin go green!
Composting pumpkins is a great way to dispose of your pumpkin. Be sure to remove the candle and any wax build-up first, then cut or smash your pumpkin into small pieces. Go ahead, let loose, relieve a little stress, and smash away! Or, let your kids burn off a little extra energy, they'll love it! Then, simply throw the pumpkin pieces in a composter, like the Lifetime Composter Tumbler. Add some of those leaves that have fallen all over your lawn and other organic materials like table scraps and grass clippings and you'll soon have some great compost to use in your garden and flowerbeds.
Don't have a composter? Give your pumpkin to a neighbor who does. Or, simply bury your pumpkin in a garden or flowerbed to enrich your soil.
If you haven't actually carved your pumpkin, scoop out the insides and use them for cooking before you send it to the composter. You can also save the seeds and use them to roast as a snack. There are plenty of good recipes online to try, including these three toasted seed versions from 101cookbooks.com.
Oh, and of course, don't forget to save a few seeds to plant next year to grow more pumpkins!