Millions of pumpkins are thrown away after Halloween every year without being eaten. That's a scary amount of potential soup, curry and cake going straight in the bin!
Inspired by environmental charity Hubbub's Eat Your Pumpkin campaign, we're sharing some simple ways to make the most of your pumpkin this Halloween, to save money and reduce food waste.
At Rooted Chippenham, we believe small actions can make a big difference. Here's how to have a great Halloween with less impact!
1. Decorate, don't carve
Carving a pumpkin can shorten its shelf life, so why not try painting a spooky face, adding stickers or creating a monster using additional materials? It's a fun activity for children, creates less mess and keeps your pumpkin fresher for longer so you can eat it afterwards. Win-win.
Each year we run a pumpkin painting workshop at our community garden for local children who have a brilliant time with their paintbrushes!
Some plasticine or playdough can work wonders to create a pumpkin monster too!
2. Turn your pumpkin into something delicious
Pumpkins aren't just for decoration! The flesh and seeds can both be used in the kitchen. Try:
Roasted pumpkin: Toss chunks with olive oil, garlic and herbs and roast in the oven.
Pumpkin curry: Add chunks to any curry for a delicious meal.
Warming soup: Blend roasted pumpkin with onion, vegetable stock and coconut milk - try the recipe below!
Roasted seeds: Rinse, dry, season and roast the seeds for 15-20 mins at 180°C fan until crunchy. A favourite in our house is to season with smoked paprika, and a tiny amount of oil and sea salt before roasting. A sensational snack, they don’t last long once they get out the oven!
3. Recipe to try: smoky roast pumpkin soup
A warming autumn favourite that's perfect for using up leftover Halloween pumpkin.
Ingredients
Pumpkin flesh from one medium pumpkin
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
750ml vegetable stock
200ml coconut milk
Season with freshly ground pepper
Method
1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Cut the pumpkin into chunks and toss with olive oil and cumin.
2. Roast for 30–40 minutes until soft and golden.
3. Soften the onion in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Add the roasted pumpkin and stock. Simmer for 5–10 minutes.
5. Blend until smooth, stir in the coconut milk and season to taste.
Serve with crusty bread for a delicious, waste-saving autumn meal.
Top tip: Roast extra pumpkin and freeze it in portions for future soups, curries and baking.
Only eat pumpkins that are fresh and suitable for consumption. Discard any that are mouldy, slimy or spoiled.
4. Make every pumpkin count
A few simple habits can help reduce waste this Halloween:
Plan ahead: Buy a pumpkin you can realistically use for cooking too.
Use the whole thing: Make the most of the flesh and seeds.
Share the surplus: Offer spare edible food to friends or neighbours.
Compost the rest: Remove candles and decorations before composting.
Reducing food waste saves resources, money and the effort that went into growing our food. It also reduces harmful greenhouse gases that food waste produces in landfill. It's a small but meaningful way to care for our planet.
This Halloween, why not try a new pumpkin recipe and inspire someone else to do the same?
For more tips, recipes and creative ideas, explore Hubbub's Eat Your Pumpkin campaign.
Visit the Community Fridge
Reducing food waste doesn't stop at Halloween! We manage Chippenham Community Fridge all year round, helping good food find a home rather than going to waste.
The fridge is free for everyone to use, helping local people access surplus food from local shops while reducing the amount that ends up in the bin. Whether you're looking to pick up something useful or to support a more sustainable local food system, the community fridge is a great way to get involved.
Why not grab some free bread to go with your pumpkin soup?!
