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Decorating and carving pumpkins is a fun part of Halloween. Most carved pumpkins are put outside on the front steps or walkway, but this can be an invitation to the local squirrels to have a snack or two. Keep the squirrels away from your carved pumpkins without harming them; natural remedies can help protect your pumpkins.
The tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns stems from an Irish myth about a stingy man named Jack, whose soul was doomed to wander the Earth with only a glowing coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. The Irish brought the tradition of creating their own versions of Jack's lantern to the United States, using the native pumpkin instead of a turnip. Carving pumpkins has progressed into an art form. Hole-punching is a creative way of carving a pumpkin, and with the proper tools, it's an easy look to achieve.
Pumpkins traditionally conjure up images of carved, illuminated faces. Although the carved faces are interesting to look at, there is much more to a pumpkin than meets the eye. The interior of the pumpkin contains both pulp -- often used in baking products -- and seeds. These seeds can be used in a variety of math, science, art and cooking activities.
Pumpkin seeds are among the tastiest snacks to come out of the Halloween season. When carving your pumpkins, instead of tossing out the seeds along with the pumpkin pulp, throw them into a bowl and set them aside for roasting. Roasted pumpkin seeds can be eaten as a snack, sprinkled on soups or salads, or incorporated into dessert toppings. Roasting pumpkin seeds is simple and helps reduce waste.
Halloween means carving pumpkins, but one of the messiest parts about this tradition is scooping out all of the seeds that are inside. While pumpkin carving can be a messy activity, most clean it up in a breeze by tossing everything. What many people don't realize is that when they throw away their pumpkin insides, they are throwing away a very tasty treat. This Halloween, instead of throwing away your seeds, save them. There are several different ways to cook pumpkin seeds that can make them a great addition to any Halloween celebration.
Halloween is over, and your pumpkin is starting to sag...and smell! Your first thought may be to lug it over to the garbage bin, but think about it first. Adding pumpkins to trash bags makes them very heavy and fills up space at the landfill. There are better ways to get rid of your old pumpkins. In fact, rather than throwing away your pumpkins, recycling pumpkins is the responsible and earth-friendly thing to do.
Learn how to remove and save pumpkin seeds and pumpkin guts in this free pumpkin carving video.
Everybody loves carving Halloween pumpkins! Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds from your Halloween pumpkin with expert tips in this free video clip.
As part of a memorable Halloween celebration, don't forget the lowly pumpkin seed. These little guys can add such enjoyment in many ways. They can be roasted, toasted or used as part of your decorations. Removing them carefully and cleaning them well makes for maximum benefit.
