Happy Halloween eve, ya’ll! I hope you are enjoying all of the festivities! We have gone to a pumpkin patch and a neighborhood Fall festival so far this holiday. We have yet to carve our pumpkin, though! I am hoping to do that tonight! When I do, I plan on putting the zero waste philosophy to work!
A lot of people don’t realize that our food waste doesn’t break down properly in landfills. Food waste is one of the largest contributors of methane in our atmosphere! Methane is one of the most potent of greenhouse gases warming our atmosphere. In light of the recent UN report stating we have 12 years to change our act before we enter a climate change catastrophe, we all need to start disposing of our food scraps properly. This means if you have the space, you should be composting. Composting allows for the natural breakdown of food and organic material and once it is fully decomposed, compost (then called loam) is one of the best foods for your plants. If you don’t have space, you should check to see if your city has a composting service. Another option is a worm bin, where worms will digest your food scraps, and, like composting, produce a nutrient rich soil for plants. Worm bins are small, so they are perfect for apartments. These changes are vital to a healthy planet! I just glazed over some of the most common food waste solutions out there and I will work on creating a more comprehensive list.
So why am I talking about food waste? Well! We can ensure that no part of our pumpkin goes to waste!
First, I will take the seeds and stringy insides out. I will roast the seeds for a healthy snack and I will make something called “pumpkin guts” bread with the stringy insides.
When I carve my pumpkin, I will scrape out the extra flesh, so the walls are thinner for carving. I will cook the pumpkin flesh to make pumpkin pureé.
Finally, once the holiday is over, I will make my first attempt at pickling the pumpkin rind.
Instead of creating waste, I will be providing my family with healthy foods. I never realized the different options out there for our pumpkins. I hope you will give some of these ideas a try! If you don’t want to take on any extra cooking, please bury your pumpkin instead of toss it in the trash. In the ground it will decompose naturally, but in the landfill, it will cause more damage to our one and only home.
Happy Haunting!!! 🎃
