Nothing says fall like an array of colorful leaves and harvest vegetables, particularly pumpkins, adorning front porches and doorsteps. For many, carving pumpkins is a favorite fall tradition and pastime.

While carving pumpkins can be a fun fall treat with friends or family, disposing of the remains, particularly the seeds, can be a hassle.

But why dispose of them? They’re edible, after all.

Bake them. Cook them. Toast them. Crush them. Sprinkle them. Puree them. Fry them.

But don’t trash them.

Here’s how to do it! After the pumpkin guts are removed from the pumpkin, sort out the seeds by putting small amounts of the guts in a large bowl of water and stirring until the seeds float. A little more rubbing and scrubbing, and the seeds should be clean.

The seeds can then be strained and boiled in salt water to give them a nice crunch and flavor, or they can be laid out on paper towels and lightly salted prior to toasting in an oven or toaster. But why stop there when the possibilities stretch far and wide?

Here’s 5 things you can do with them:

1) Garnish soups and salads, raw or toasted. They can be sprinkled atop muffins and cakes or baked right into them like other nuts.

2) Add to trail mixes.

3) Bake into granola bars or mix into candies, such as brittle or fudges.

4) Puree into a creamy nut butter spread using a food processor or sprinkled atop yogurt parfaits.

5) Fry in a skillet on the stove into a healthy vegetarian hash or puree into a delicious pate or pesto.

Merely a blank canvas, the beauty of pumpkin seeds can be expressed through many different foods. Creativity lies with the cook, and what better way to spice up the fall season than with pumpkin seeds!