If you hate waste and are trying to think of an interesting way of using up all that pumpkin flesh left over from Halloween, try brewing up some pumpkin wine. Get it right and it will give you at least five bottles of a quite drinkable brew that will only cost the price of the sugar and root ginger providing you have loads of pumpkin flesh left from carving. You will need 6lb/3 kilos pumpkin flesh 1 piece of fresh ginger the size of a walnut 1 gallon water – warm 3lb/1.5 kilos granulated sugar 1 x 7g packet of dried yeast Juice of three lemons Method Cut the pumpkin flesh into reasonably small chunks and chop the ginger really finely.

Place both pumpkin and ginger into a clean bucket.

Pour on the water, add the lemon juice, sugar and yeast – stir well until sugar is dissolved.

Cover with clean cloth or lid and allow to ferment for about a week, stirring every day.

When it has settled down, strain into a sterile demijohn, fix an airlock in place and store in a reasonably cool place for at least six months, or until the wine is clear and sparkly. Bottle in sterile jars and enjoy