Once the doorbell ringing subsides and the sun dawns on Nov. 1, some might wonder what to do with the carved gourds now littering their front yards or doorsteps.
For starters, the retired jack-o-lanterns can be placed in the City of Vancouver green bins, provided the candles are removed and the pumpkins are cut up into palm-sized pieces. The city also recommends covering the pieces with a thick layer of leaves or other "brown" material.
Alternatively, if you don't have a compost bin but want to add nutrients to your garden, the city recommends burying the chopped pumpkin under 30 cm of soil.
If you live in an apartment or condominium or operate a business that does not have City of Vancouver Green Bin service, contact your building manager or landlord for options or visit the city’s website for more information.
If you want to keep the natural nutrients in the pumpkins for yourself, there are plenty of recipes to help you do it.
Love Food Hate Waste Canada has entire pages devoted to the many uses of pumpkin in cooking. (Although it might be tastier if you used an electric candle instead of a wax-burning one.) If you’re one to buy many pumpkins you can make a pumpkin puree which can be frozen to use another day.
