The calendar has turned over to October, which means only one thing: it’s Halloween season. It’s now a huge celebration in Australia, particularly for young families. Getting dressed up and running around the streets in your neighbourhood collecting treats is just a whole lot of fun!

As we continue to own this celebration in Australia, there are plenty of ways for businesses to benefit. From costumes and party theming to chocolates and lollies for the ‘trick or treaters’, one of the most recognisable features of any authentic Halloween event is the pumpkin jack-o-lantern.

Savvy producers are leveraging this opportunity and supplying perfectly sized, ready to carve pumpkins for those wanting to impress. These largely inedible pumpkins are then left in composting piles, or sometimes just to rot, after providing a display at the front door of homes around the country.

Pumpkins are a symbol of Autumn harvest in the US, making them iconic for Halloween. But when you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, pumpkins may be available in grocery stores, but they don’t compare to the perfectly ripe fruit synonymous with summer.

Perfect for carving, perfect for eating, and perfectly in season: the watermelon jack-o-lantern and the pineapple jack-o-lantern.

As you carve away, you can save the delicious insides to use in fruit salad, juices or smoothies. Pop a tea candle or light inside and the result looks just as good. Best of all, you are doing your bit to support local farmers and at the same time helping to support the environment. It’s estimated more the 500,000kg of pumpkins will be sold in Australia this Halloween – that’s about $1.5million spent on food that will most likely be discarded.

So why not get carving on some beautiful local fruit this Halloween. Take a photo and tag it #aussiehalloween to spread this wonderful initiative.

Let’s get pumpkins out of our waste and more quality, fresh seasonal fruit into our tummies.