According to Unilever and the charity Hubbub, 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin are thrown away each year. That’s the equivalent of 360m portions of pumpkin pie, one culinary tradition we’ve yet to adopt from the US alongside Halloween, now our third most-celebrated holiday. Pumpkins are just the tip of the iceberg, though: British households waste a whopping seven million tonnes of food each year, five million of it avoidable. Luckily, though, the fight against food waste is a delicious one.
Rather than buy a generic orange pumpkin this year, explore the diversity of heirloom squash grown by our own small farmers: Turk’s turban looks spectacular with its ruffled top, little acorn and onion squash taste magnificent and the large, teal-coloured crown prince is great for carving. And when you make your jack o’lantern, use the seeds to make a maple brittle: spread them on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 170C (150C fan)/gas 3 for 30 minutes, or until dried. Drizzle with maple syrup and roast for 15-30 minutes more, or until caramelised.
Pumpkin doughnut muffins
Post-Halloween, make a silky-smooth soup with the bulk of your pumpkin or squash, but save some to make these easy and scrummy little doughnuts. The pumpkin gives them an vibrant and appetising colour and keeps them nice and moist. Makes 12.
200g pumpkin or squash flesh, cut into cubes
75g butter
75g unrefined sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 large egg
180g wholemeal flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp allspice
40ml yoghurt
1 tsp cinnamon
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/gas 6 and grease 12 muffin cups.
Put the cubed pumpkin in a pan, cover with water and simmer until soft. Drain and blend to a puree.
Beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg, wholemeal flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, yoghurt and pureed pumpkin, until thoroughly combined. Half-fill each muffin cup with the mix, then bake for 20 minutes, or until springy.
While the muffins are still warm, roll them in sugar mixed with cinnamon and tuck in.
