By Ellen Miller, Dietetic Intern at Cherry Street Health Center
A good way to get your money’s worth in addition to being earth-friendly and reducing your food waste is to use as much of your food as possible. When we buy a pumpkin with the intent to carve it for a spooky jack-o-lantern we don’t always have a use for all the other parts. Here are some ways you can utilize all of your pumpkin:
- Carve the pumpkin for your family-fun jack-o-lantern! While carving, harvest all of the innards and seeds and store in your refrigerator until further use as soon as you can.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds as a snack!
- Use the pumpkin guts for a pie. Pumpkin is rich in fiber and protein for feeling full longer, and beta-carotene and potassium that help your muscles and eyes work their best.
Pumpkin pie:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ t. ground cinnamon
- ½ t. ground ginger
- ½ t. ground nutmeg
- ½ t. salt
- Pre-made pie crust OR homemade
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Prepare pie crust or simply place into pie pan
- In large bowl, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt with an electric mixer or immersion blender.
- Pour into prepared crust
- Bake 40 minutes or until a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.
More information available here.
