{"id":14759,"date":"2016-11-06T10:02:33","date_gmt":"2016-11-06T10:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=14759"},"modified":"2023-10-06T15:39:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T14:39:42","slug":"five-things-to-do-with-a-pumpkin-including-soup-pie-roasted-seed-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/five-things-to-do-with-a-pumpkin-including-soup-pie-roasted-seed-recipes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to Do With a Pumpkin and One Thing Not to Do, Ever."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pumpkins<\/a><\/p>\n

FOOD WASTE<\/h2>\n

As we head into October, pumpkins are very much in season and many look forward to carving them out and decorating them as we approach Halloween<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/a>Pumpkins are colourful vegetables in the squash family and they come in all shapes and sizes. They’re versatile and will last for months in a cool, dry environment. Sadly, it’s been estimated that 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin are wasted in the UK every year<\/a>, the equivalent of 360 million portions of pumpkin pie!<\/strong> In the US, a staggering 900,000 tonnes are trashed rather than eaten or composted.<\/p>\n

If you add those figures to households in Ireland and the rest of the world that decorate their Halloween homes and gardens, that’s a colossal amount of food waste, never mind the resources that go into growing pumpkins. Can we do something about it?<\/p>\n

Pumpkins are inexpensive and make tasty, sweet or savoury dishes yet we undervalue them. One average size pumpkin can provide a snack, soup and dessert and they are far from bland once they’ve been roasted in the oven with oil and seasoning.<\/p>\n

\"The

Photo: www.hubbub.org.uk<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’re concerned about pumpkin waste and would like to do more with them, here’s five suggestions, including saving seeds and several links to recipes. At the end of the article there’s a short video clip showing what not to do with a pumpkin, especially if you can’t seek the help of some kind friends or family…<\/p>\n

No. 1 – How to Save a Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin<\/h2>\n
\"How<\/a>

License: (license)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Once the pumpkin is\u00a0carved,\u00a0there’s not much we can do but before we make it into a creepy devil or spooky cat, we can save all the flesh we scoop out and cook it.<\/p>\n