My kids used to love helping me carve out their Jack O Lanterns. I would do the same thing my dad used to do. Pile all the messy pumpkin insides on some newspaper and throw it out. Today we are more aware of how waste it is to throw organic material in the trash. There are plenty of things you can do with the stringy messy insides of your pumpkin. Here are a few suggestions from me and USA Today.
Wash off the seeds. Then set them aside to dry. Then toast them with butter and your favorite seasonings. You'll have a delicious snack. This year I plan to save the seeds from my grand daughter's pumpkin and plant a pumpkin patch. Hopefully, she'll have plenty of free pumpkins next year.
You can also make pumpkin juice. Add boiling water to the stringy mess, soak for a helf hour and strain. The bright orange liquid that remains is a natural pumpkin flavoring for anything.
Pumpkin Chips are a great snack too. Cut your pumpkin skin into thin slices, coat with oil and spices then bake them with plenty of salt and some spices. You can find plenty of pumpkin chip recipes on line.
If you don't want to plant or roast your pumpkin seeds leave them outside for the birds. The inside of a pumpkin can also be added to the compost pile for your garden.
Source: USA Today
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