What do you use pumpkins for?

Today is known as National Pumpkin Day. Yeah, pumpkins are so good, there’s a national day dedicated to them.

Pumpkins are this season’s most popular fruit. Did you know pumpkins are technically considered a fruit? The definition of a fruit is “the edible, seed bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant.” With one slice into a pumpkin, you see it’s full of seeds. More specifically, however, a pumpkin is a part of the gourd family, along with cantaloupe, watermelons, zucchini, and more.

Pumpkins are overflowing the cardboard boxes lining your every grocery store. There is an abundance of this in-season fruit. How will you choose to make the most of your pumpkin this holiday season?

Just a few suggestions, if you know other ways to use your pumpkins, leave yours in the comments below!

1. Make pumpkin puree! Cut in half, scoop out seeds and stems, then bake! After you bake it, it’ll be ready for you to scoop out the goods and put in a food processor. (There are many great recipes online, and it’s super easy to do!) There are so many uses of pumpkin puree: bread, pancakes, lattes, smoothies. If you make an abundance, feel free to store in the freezer until you’re ready for more pumpkin!
2. Pumpkin soup and chili will rock your taste buds.
3. Try a pumpkin butter, sweetened with maple syrup, cinnamon, and allspice! Yum!
4. Believe it or not, pumpkin is great for your skin. It’s full of Vitamin A and C to help prevent aging and full of zinc to help prevent breakouts. Making a face mask will do wonders for your skin. Plus, it’ll smell good enough to eat! Surf the web for a few face mask ideas using your pumpkin puree.
5. Along with skin care, there are recipes that use pumpkins for hair conditioner, lip scrub, moisturizer, and body scrubs!
6. It was a classic tradition to save our pumpkin seeds and bake them. Add your favorite seasonings and throw them in the oven! Not only are pumpkin seeds delicious, they’re nutritious! They contain iron, zinc, fiber, protein, and magnesium, just to list a few of the nutrients!
7. Jack-O-Lantern! The most common use of a pumpkin on Halloween, obviously.
8. Instead of cutting your pumpkin, you could paint the whole thing instead. Add a wicked design, or a spooky message, and shine a light at your creation for Halloween night!
9. Bake the shell of your pumpkin for half an hour or so. This will make it into the perfect serving dish for punch or treats, plus, it’s cute!
10. Slice the top of your pumpkin off, bake, and line the inside with a cloth. You can use this as your treat bowl! 🙂

By: KayLynn P.