What to do with pumpkin? Compost, cook, decorate or toss

Wondering what to do with pumpkin? The city of Raleigh is asking people to reuse or compost their pumpkins or throw them away with ordinary trash.

Do not dump pumpkins in nature or throw them away with yard waste (bright green bins in the city of Raleigh), officials said. Instead, reuse them or dispose of them in regular dark green waste bins if you choose not to compost.

A news release explained, "Pumpkins should not go in your yard waste cart because the Raleigh Yard Waste Center cannot process food waste on a large scale."

Of course, it's better to reuse your pumpkin than toss it. Here are ideas.

What to do with pumpkin? Compost it

How to compost a pumpkin:

Smash the pumpkin before throwing it in a compost bin. The decaying pumpkin will produce nutrient-rich soil.

Make sure to remove candle wax or glitter before composting.

If you don't have a compost bin, you can donate your pumpkin to a community garden or local farms and animal sanctuaries, which may feed pumpkins to animals.

Pumpkins for Pigs features a U.S. map of locations that accept uncarved, unpainted pumpkins, including many in North Carolina.

Make a pumpkin planter

If your pumpkin is not already carved, you can hollow it out, fill it with soil and use it as a seasonal planter.

Save for winter decoration

Too many uncarved pumpkins? You can paint them white and stack them to create a snowman decoration this winter.

Cooking with pumpkin

How to roast pumpkin seeds:

• Separate the seeds from the pulp, removing as much pulp as possible.
• Rinse seeds in a colander.
• Boil the seeds in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. This removes excess pulp and plumps the seeds, making them more crunchy and less chewy.
• Toss lightly in olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper or your favorite seasonings.
• Roast at 400 degrees until golden but not charred.

Make homemade pumpkin puree (for baking pies, breads, cakes, etc.) This can be substituted for canned pumpkin in any recipe, like pumpkin ravioli, soup or smoothies.

• Rinse your pumpkin and carefully slice it into large wedges, leaving the skin.
• Cut away the pulp, leaving only pumpkin flesh and skin. It's okay if you don't get it all.
• Place wedges on rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for an hour (more or less time may be needed depending on the size of your pumpkin).
• Remove from oven once fork can be inserted easily into pumpkin.
• Cool, then separate pumpkin flesh from skin.
• Blend in a food processor until smooth.
• Use, refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container.

Easy pumpkin recipes

• 5-ingredient pumpkin dip
• Pumpkin dog treats
• Mini pumpkin pies
• Pumpkin pasta sauce
• Air fryer pumpkin seeds

What about heirloom, unusual pumpkins?

Any pumpkin that is grown is edible, health experts say, although some orange pumpkins might have a stronger flavor than white, green and other varieties. These are, however, safe to eat.

Don't throw pumpkins in the woods

Dumping pumpkins in wooded areas near your home could do more harm than good. Decaying pumpkin could attract unwanted animals to the area or even harm wildlife, experts say.