Pumpkin
Photo by Kerstin Wrba on Unsplash
Pumpkin: the big kahuna of the autumn season. Between Halloween jack-o-lanterns and the return of fan-favorite seasonal coffee flavors, it is easy to see all the ways pumpkins are practically fall royalty.
Unfortunately, the real spooky season might be the waste we make along the way. Many pumpkins get thrown away once they go bad after Halloween and end up in landfills. Food waste that ends up in landfills tends to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If you’ve got an itch to visit a pumpkin patch this season like I do and you end up with a gorgeous gourd, try to find ways to get rid of the uneaten bits that don’t involve the landfill.
Happy eating!
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“Pumpkin” is a surprisingly complicated word to define. The gist of it is that while they might refer to a type of winter squash in the common vernacular, the word “pumpkin” actually holds no botanical or scientifically agreed upon meaning. However, the ambiguous food item still has very real health benefits for you to enjoy.
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Beyond spooky decor, pumpkins make incredibly versatile ingredients. The seeds can be roasted, the pumpkin peels can be fried into chips, and the bulk of the pumpkin can be transformed into sweet and savory treats alike.
Below are even more ideas for pumpkin recipes for you to try:
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Pumpkins can get pretty big! Here are some tips on how to compost a pumpkin once it has gone bad.