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It’s tough to decide what to do with leftover jack-o-lanterns and decorative holiday pumpkins, aside from chucking them in the trash bin, leaving them in the backyard to be ravaged by wild critters, or simply letting them rot on the porch.
But there are a variety of creative things you can do with your sad, post-Halloween pumpkins to really shake up your early November, from letting loose on them to cooking a warming meal to donating them to some hungry hogs.
Smash your pumpkins
For this activity to be as fun and fulfilling as possible, you’ll need a large hammer or a baseball bat and some pent-up rage. The sweet release of beating your jack-o-lantern into literal pulp feels wonderful, plus your nebby neighbors will never look at you the same way ever again. Pumpkin bashing beats paying the hefty price tag for a rage room experience, so go ahead and get cathartic by demolishing your Halloween decorations without regret … that jack-o-lantern was a jerk anyway. Don’t feel like being a savage? Give your pumpkins to your neighborhood’s troubled teens to smash!
Important note: be sure you’re only smashing your own pumpkins and not anyone else’s. Adding a criminal mischief charge to your record isn’t worth it.
Eat your pumpkins … because they’re food
If you’re not into smashing your pumpkins, you can always eat them. But do yourself a favor and avoid attempting to make scratch pumpkin pie. Straining slimy strings of pumpkin pulp between layers of cheesecloth — repeatedly, for hours — to create the right pumpkin viscosity only to have the end product turn grainy and taste like sour dirt is no fun at all (ask me how I know). There are other ways to eat your leftover pumpkin without wasting your precious time to inevitable failure. Instead, try cooking something savory, like pumpkin risotto.
To create this dish, you’ll need to scoop out and de-seed your pumpkin, reserving 6 ounces of the pulp. Because jack-o-lantern pumpkins aren’t the most flavorful variety, add another 6 ounces of chopped butternut or honey nut squash to balance the flavor.
In a large pot, melt about 3 Tbsp. of butter and a couple of chopped shallots, cooking them until they’re soft and translucent like little Halloween ghosts. Then add your chopped squash, and cook the mixture for 5-10 minutes on medium/low with the lid on until it softens. Add 1.5 cups of arborio rice, stirring it until it’s fully coated with your squash. Let your mixture simmer for a minute or two, then add just enough vegetable or chicken stock to cover the rice (you’ll need about 3 cups for the full recipe). As your risotto starts to absorb and expand, add one additional cup of stock at a time until it’s fully absorbed, and your rice is tender.
Now you can have fun with the finishings: add a pinch of pumpkin spice (it’s not just for coffee!), a dash of sea salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and some sage leaves for a decorative touch. If you like your risotto extra creamy, go ahead and add a splash of milk or cream. Presentation is important, so feel free to use your scooped-out pumpkin as a serving bowl.
Donate your pumpkins to the pigs
Wildlife experts say that it’s not a great idea to let wandering deer and other backyard beasts eat your leftover pumpkins. Luckily, there are some lovely farmyard animals who easily digest pumpkins without getting sick.
On Saturday, November 4th, Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue is hosting its annual Vegan Crockpot Cookoff (with a grand prize offering) and Pumpkin Drop Off. If you don’t want to eat your pumpkins, some sweet piggies will! The rescue asks that your pumpkins be unpainted for the pigs’ safety, and it’s best to bring uncut leftover pumpkins rather than jack-o-lanterns.
Pigsburgh Squealers invites guests to enjoy homemade crockpot dishes and vegan desserts, and also pet some adorable pigs. The event runs from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at 130 Lampus Lane in Tarentum.
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2023.
