When Halloween's over, what do you do with your old
jack-o'-lantern? One easy approach is to simply leave it to
rot but there are some useful and even some fun things you
can do with the old jack-o'-lantern. This article will help
you make the most of the old pumpkins!
!! Steps !!
Use the flesh Eat the pumpkin flesh. Any flesh that has been cut
from the pumpkin makes for fantastic cooking possibilities. Don't
throw this flesh out when making your jack-o'-lantern. Instead,
either use it immediately for baking or cooking, or refrigerate it
and use it within a few days. Alternately, freeze it and use it
within a few months. Pumpkin flesh can be used in a range of dishes,
such as pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread. SeeHow to use
pumpkins for more ideas of how to use the flesh removed during
carving.
* If you put whole (uncut, not carved) pumpkins out for display and
want to use their flesh, rescue them at the end of Halloween night
or early next morning before the squirrels, raccoons, or any other
beasts start nibbling at it! Whole, uncut pumpkins will store well
in a dry, cold place for a month or more.
* If you decide to use the remaining flesh attached to a
jack-o'-lantern, keep the following in mind: the jack-o'-lantern
pumpkins are usually different from pumpkins used for cooking and
tend to be watery, so you'll need to squeeze out the water first
if pureeing. And there should be no wax or other blemishes on the
flesh. Finally, the jack-o'-lantern should be carved and cooked
within 24 hours.[1]
Pickled pumpkin can be used in many ways Pickle the peel. If your
jack-o'-lantern is still in good shape the morning after Halloween,
consider pickling the rind. The jack-o'-lantern must be clean, free
of rot, and not suffering from wax build-up or smoke burns (if you
want to pickle it, use a pumpkin light rather than candles). Pickling
the rind is common is Northern Germany:[2]
* Assemble the ingredients. You'll need 3/4 lb sugar, 2 cups of
vinegar, and a small piece of fresh ginger per 1 pound of pumpkin
rind; one cinnamon stick for several pounds.
* Peel the outer skin off the pumpkin. The rind is the white colored
part under the skin. Cut the rind into 2 inch / 5cm squares.
* Place the pumpkin into the vinegar. Leave it to soak overnight.
Drain the next morning and discard the vinegar.
* Lay the pumpkin on a towel or cloth to dry.
* Pour fresh vinegar into a large pot. Add the sugar, ginger, and
cinnamon stick. Add the pumpkin rind and simmer over a low heat.
* Cook without stirring until the pumpkin rind becomes translucent
and yellow. This will take about 3 hours. Shake the pot
occasionally to move the rind around.
* Store. The rind can be canned or refrigerated. If refrigerated,
eat within a few weeks; if canned, follow normal canning
instructions and storage times.
Set them up in a safe place for smashing Hold a jack-o'-lantern
smashing party. This use allows you to keep the pumpkins a few days
more (if needed) and provides an excuse for you and your friends to
get rid of everyone's pumpkins at the same time, as well as having a
party.
* Choose whose place the party will be held at. It needs to be
somewhere with a decent sized backyard.
* Ask all the guests to keep their jack-o'-lanterns after Halloween.
Offer to collect pumpkins for friends who can't come.
* Find things to damage the pumpkin with. Suitable items include
slingshots, sports bats or rackets, sticks or broomsticks, etc.
Or, you might prefer tossing the pumpkins against a wall or
something else, or dropping them from on high. If children are
involved, don't use anything that could result in injuries –
simply throwing or dropping is best with kids around.
* Plan a party. Get drinks, snacks, music, chairs, etc., organized.
A barbecue is a good idea. Put out candies from Halloween as well.
* Hold the party. Let everyone who wants to smash the
jack-o'-lanterns. Have a prize for the best smashing technique.
* Sweep up the smashed pieces. These can be composted, buried, or
thrown out, as detailed below.
Potential ant home Make a home for an ant colony. Place the
jack-o'-lantern near an area you know that ants frequent. Allow the
pumpkin to start rotting. When you see mold growing on the inside,
this is a good time to start.
* Remove the wrappers from two small bars of chocolate and put them
in the microwave in a bowl or plate for 30-45 seconds.
* Sprinkle some sugar on the chocolate and stir until you get a
paste.
* Apply the paste to the inside or outside of the pumpkin.
* Observe. You may see many types of ants in you new ant colony.
Feed the jack-o'-lantern to the chickens or other poultry. Break
down the pumpkins with your hands or a hammer and toss the pieces
into the chicken's feeding tray. Once they've pecked off the
remaining flesh, remove the pumpkin skin and compost or throw away.
* If you have a farm, pumpkins make for good stock feed. Or call a
local zoo or animal park to see if they can make use of clean
pumpkins you don't need anymore.
* Don't feed a moldy pumpkin to animals. If you're going to use it
as food, it must be fresh and in good condition.
Compost the jack-o'-lantern. Pumpkins make great fertilizer when
composted. Remove the seeds before composting unless you want
pumpkins all over your garden next summer! Remove anything that
won't compost, like candle wax, decorations, etc. Place the
jack-o'-lantern on a bed of leaves (maple leaves are good) or other
plant trimmings inside the compost. Add some more leaves over the
top of the pumpkin. Add the usual compost materials over the top and
the pumpkin will break down.[3]
* This can be done in a plastic container if you don't own a compost
bin.
* Pumpkin can be fed to worms for worm composting too. Break it down
into small pieces first.
* If you don't want to compost it, bury it in the soil. It will
decay quickly and will still fertilize and enrich the soil.
* Throw it out with the garden waste Dispose of the
jack-o'-lantern in the garbage if you don't have a garden or
compost. Leaving a pumpkin to decompose in your home or on patios,
etc., will result in pumpkin stains and mold problems.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* For the ant colony: You can substitute hard candy for ant paste,
but the ants can't eat it as well. Remove any spider webs you
find, they can be dangerous for the ants. Substitute any type of
bug for ants, but ants work best.
* Keep the pumpkin seeds. Wash them and allow them to dry and plant
them the following year for a new crop of pumpkins. Alternately,
consider roasting them.
* After Halloween, you can often pick up pumpkins for great prices
or even for free. Grab a few and use them to cook with, or store
in a cool and dry place, to cook with in the following months.
* If you don't want your Halloween pumpkin to disintegrate, consider
using a hardshell gourd that has had the flesh removed and a
polyurethane finished applied to it.
* Consider whether it's possible to hold a pumpkin smashing party in
a local park to allow many people to take part. Check with local
authorities that it's OK.
!! Warnings !!
* If you're wanting to use your jack-o'-lantern for cooking after it
has sat outside, if you have even the slightest suspicion that it
has been contaminated (such as having been nibbled by animals,
kicked by shoes, etc.), do something else with it.
* When the ant paste comes out of the microwave, it's hot.
* Don't store the jack-o'-lantern in the attic. It won't keep for
next Halloween; it will simply rot, stain anything it is near, and
attract pests.
* In some instances, you'll find that your jack-o'-lantern is
smashed for you by Halloween revelers late Halloween night. If you
don't want this to happen, place your jack-o'-lantern away from
sight. Otherwise, it can be an easy way of disposing of it!
* It is not recommended to use your garbage disposal unit for
getting rid of whole pumpkins; this can easily overload the system
and it's hard work. Composting is better.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Old jack-o'-lantern
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Carve a Pumpkin
* How to Photograph a Jack O' Lantern
* How to Make Halloween Pumpkin Punch
* How to Build a Tumbling Composter
* How to Sweep a Floor
* How to Take out the Trash
!! Sources And Citations !!
* Pumpkin smashing party idea adapted from Howcast,
http://www.howcast.com/videos/368675-How-To-Throw-a-Pumpkin-Destruction-Party
* Recipe for pumpkin rind adapted from Jeff Yeager, Carving a
Jack-o-Lantern this Weekend? Here's How to Cook the Pumpkin Goop!,
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/save-money/pumpkin-recipes-461009#ixzz13MLuQp3s
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