OoOoOoOoOoh! Polly, the Morticia of recycling, is back with more spooktacular tips on wasting less this Halloween.
After learning that more than 22 million pumpkins are wasted each Halloween, I challenged myself to see how many meals I could make from one pumpkin. And thinking that three heads were better than one – especially at Halloween – I roped in my daughter and her friend to help.
But before the cooking began, we got crafty….
I’d seen plenty of online videos featuring Halloween crafts designed to last for years. With my daughter growing up so quickly, I decided to try them. Using her sweet little handprints, we made ghoulish posters that I’ll treasure for years to come. We also repurposed toilet and kitchen rolls to create bats and spooky spiders—simple, but great fun!
We also used fallen leaves collected on family walks to create a lovely autumn door wreath, letting neighbours know they’re welcome to trick or treat at our house.
Once the little ghouls had finished crafting, it was time for popcorn and a Halloween film while I started cooking.
First, I cut the pumpkin in half and baked it to make the most of every bit. This usually takes 45 to 60 minutes, giving me time to tidy away the craft supplies. Yes, even Morticia has to tidy up.
Once the pumpkin halves were golden and cool, I blended them into a purée. One pumpkin produced 957 grams, so I used that amount to plan my recipes. I began with my fiancé’s favourite: pumpkin pie, a sweet treat that fills the whole house with the scent of autumn.
Next, the girls wanted to help, so we used some of the pumpkin purée to make cupcakes they could take to school—perfect for packed lunches.
I still had enough pumpkin for another meal. I thought about pumpkin soup, pumpkin macaroni cheese, savoury pumpkin pancakes but a hearty risotto appealed most because it was quick and easy to make. As a bonus I managed to scoop the last of the puree and give the dog a healthy treat
I was impressed that one pumpkin, costing £1.69 could make so many meals. The only extra ingredients I needed to buy was pastry for the pie and evaporated milk, as I already had spices, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and butter at home.
Our Halloween fun day left me feeling ready for my favourite time of year and showed me just how much a single vegetable can provide. Pumpkins aren’t just for decoration when you can make so many tasty treats for the whole family…including the dog!
