One of the most fun things to do in October (aside from trick or treating) would be carving pumpkins, but what can you do with your pumpkins when Halloween is over?

One of the best ways to reuse your pumpkin would be to scoop out the pumpkin insides and make a pumpkin puree. This puree could make desserts such as pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. You can also use the puree to make overnight oats and even use it to make pumpkin spice smoothies and pumpkin spice lattes. If you’re not in the mood for pumpkin recipes, you can always put your pumpkin puree in a can and use it later during the year.

Aside from eating the pumpkin guts, you can also roast and eat the pumpkin seeds or eat them raw. Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and vitamin K, which are both important to help wounds heal. Pumpkin seeds also contain zinc, which helps your immune system fight bacteria and viruses.

Composting is an easier way of reusing your pumpkins that doesn’t involve baking or canning. According to an article on wastedive.com, 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkin waste are thrown out yearly. Instead of contributing to this landfill waste, why not try composting instead? Composting your pumpkins can capture nutrients and water that can be put back into parks, gardens, and farms.

Composting can be done in your backyard by placing your pumpkin in a sunny spot on the ground and smashing it down a little bit. After this, all you need to do is cover it with a layer of leaves and let nature do its work. If you don’t feel like making your composting pile in your backyard, many community gardens would accept your pumpkins to add to their pile.

If baking or composting doesn’t work for you, you can reuse your pumpkin by donating it to a local animal farm or a zoo. There are many zoos across the country that accept your leftover pumpkin scraps to feed to their animals. The Oakland Zoo in California “works with local pumpkin patches to donate leftovers to the Zoo for the animals to enjoy.” The leftover pumpkin scraps provide a great snack for the animals at zoos and farms.

So, when Halloween ends, and you’re ready to throw away those pumpkins, maybe try one of these ideas instead.