Lubbock, Here’s What You To Do With Your Old Pumpkins After Halloween

Every season, my family ends up with a whole bunch of old, funky pumpkins rotting on the porch. It's not really on purpose. It just happens. You've got to get the most out of the grueling hours you spent trying to carve a spooky cat into it, or whatever stupid, delusional design you thought you could totally handle.

Before your pumpkins turn into a wet pile of sludge you'll inevitably scoop up with a shovel, here are a couple of ideas for what to do with them.

What To Do With Your Old Pumpkins

Composting

a couple of wooden boxes filled with dirt

If your pumpkin isn't covered with paint and glitter, composting is your easiest option. Just chop it up into smaller pieces and throw it into your compost pile. If you don't have a compost pile, you can just dig little spots in your garden to drop the pieces in. Easy peasy.

Turn Them Into Bird Feeders

A bird feeder hanging from a tree in a garden

You can fill your old pumpkins with birdseed and set them out in the yard for a tasty treat for the birds and squirrels.

Donate Them To A Farmer

A group of chickens standing on top of a dirt field

Before they get all rotten and funky, they make great food for chickens! If you've got a ton of them, you might like to donate them to a local farmer or that crazy chicken lady in your neighborhood.

Don't Forget To Save Your Seeds!

closeup photo of brown seads

When you hollow out your pumpkin for Halloween fun, save all the pumpkin seeds! Rinse them off, toss them around in a little oil and your favorite seasoning, and bake them for a crunchy snack.

It's basically recycling, but you get to eat the evidence. Heck yes.

Other Fun Pumpkin Goop Snack Ideas

a cup of coffee with a couple of pastries on top

You can make SO many yummy goodies out of your pumpkin goop!

Muffins, pancakes, breads, pumpkin butter...

You can even make pumpkin soup! I've made it a few times, and it's way more delicious than it sounds. Trust me.

But What If I Don't Like Pumpkin?

a bunch of dog bones on a grill

Not a fan of pumpkin? That's okay. Your dog might love it!

Put the goop from your pumpkin aside in a bag in your freezer, and find a recipe online for pumpkin dog treats. They are very simple to make and will save you a few bucks on treats.

Do you have more ideas? Tell me! I love hearing from my readers. You can reach me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com, then keep scrolling for more Lubbock fun in the galleries below...