Central Minnesota, Is Eating the Halloween Pumpkin a Good Idea?

With nearly every meal we have at our house, I try to turn it into a second meal. Some call me cheap, I prefer the term frugal.

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This time of year, a lot of people buy pumpkins to put out in front of their house for Halloween. A creative design cut into it, add a candle for some flare at night. Then once Halloween is over, you just throw the pumpkin away, right? Or can you eat it?

According to Food Safety Experts, you cannot eat the pumpkin once it has become a decoration around the house. They say that pumpkins are a low-acid vegetable, and once you cut into them, and they sit at room temperature, pathogens grow quickly on the skin of the pumpkin.

Another reason it is not recommended to eat a pumpkin that you’ve made into a decorative piece, when the act of carving the pumpkin is taking place, we’re not usually practicing the same safe kitchen practices we would if we were preparing a meal. You know like washing your hands, cleaning the utensils we’re using for the project, or even washing the pumpkin itself.

There is a Cavet to this story however, if you just paint a pumpkin but do not cut into it, then you can use that pumpkin as food, but experts say odds are it won’t take really good as the bigger pumpkins aren’t known for flavor or texture.

If this all seems like a bit of waste to you, all is not lost. If you remove the seeds from the pumpkin when you are carving it, wash and roast them immediately, or wash them and put them in the refrigerator before you roast them, you can eat the seeds.

No matter your approach with your pumpkin, let’s all make it a safe Halloween please. Thank You!