The truly scary story of the season: pumpkin waste 🎃
🕷 Over 50% of the 24 million pumpkins to be carved this Halloween won't be eaten;
🕷 Only 42% of people realise that the flesh of carving pumpkins is edible.
Growers tell us that demand for carving pumpkins is up year-on-year. This, paired with a heavy rainy season that resulted in lower crop yields, means you won't find this type of gourd in your boxes before Halloween. It is also the reason why it is more important than ever to tell this spooky tale & why we compiled this skin-to-seed guide for you to share with a fellow foodie, food-waste warrior or Halloween lover 🧙♀️🧙♂️
FLESH
*Roast it simply by slicing it into wedges (you can keep the skin on) and drizzle with oil, a little honey and cumin seeds. Roast until golden and tender at 200ºC. Great in colourful warm salads, as a side or on its own;
*Make pumpkin hummus. Follow the above. Scoop out the flesh, then blitz in a blender with tahini, lemon juice, a bit of garlic and cumin;
*Mash it by chopping into small chunks (remove the skin first, see below) and boil until tender. Drain and mash it well with butter or a bit of oil and a splash of milk or dairy-free milk. Amazing on top of a veggie cottage pie, or as seasonal brunch pumpkin pancakes with a pinch of autumnal cinnamon and nutmeg;
PEEL
*Keep it on unless you’re making a mash, hummus or purée. If you do remove the peel, save it by roasting it into crisps: sprinkle with salt, drizzle olive oil and bake it for 25 minutes on the top rack of a 200ºC oven until crisp. Perfect as a snack or with your pumpkin hummus;
SEEDS
*Roast them! Rinse and dry the seeds. Place on a baking tray with olive oil or coconut oil and a pinch of salt and chilli flakes, then roast for about 10 minutes at 180ºC. Amazing on soups or any breakfast;
STRINGY BITS
*When you remove and clean your seeds, keep those leftovers to add to your next soup, veggie fritters or freeze it until you’re ready to use it.
And if you do carve a pumpkin this year, make sure to compost it after it's done its time on your windowsill! For more resources have a look at @hellohubbub
#oddbox #halloweenwaste #zerowasterecipes