HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:00 pm**

So I will be carving my Halloween jack-o-lantern soon and I just got to thinking - can I offer some of the pulp that I scoop out to my hermies? If so, should I dry it out/bake it or just offer it straight from the pumpkin? I'll definitely be saving the seeds to bake as a snack for me but thought maybe I could keep some of the pulp for the little guys as well... If I can give it to them, I bet it would be great for their color - like carrots (which they LOVE in baby food form!)

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:16 pm**

I have given my crabs the dried pumpkin before. They really liked it, and they eat the ground-up baked (unsalted) seeds as well. I would probably dry it out or bake it just because of the mess.

Posted: **Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:05 am**

I gave my crabs straight pieces of pumpkin, raw, uncooked, after carving pumpkins last year. They loved it! I have also baked it, mashed it, ect... They loved that too.

Posted: **Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:57 pm**

Pumpkin is terrific! It contains all kind of healthy stuff. Serve it any way you like.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:33 am**

Unfortunately baking doesn't render the pesticides harmless. It would kill molds and insect eggs but the pesticides would still be there.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:33 am**

Here's what I know to be edible on the pumpkin:seeds ( are the seed strings edible? )and the inside part ( not rind )I would either bake ( at 350 for about 5-10 min ) or microwave ( 5 min max ) a chunk of pumpkin ( rind and all ) to soften it up and bake the seeds at 350 for about 5-10 min.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:33 am**

A follow up question, I'm not sure if the place we get our pumpkins from use pesticides or anything (assuming they probably do), but if I baked the seeds would they still be okay? Wouldn't baking help get rid of anything bad?

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:33 am**

Pumpkins should be organic and not treated with any fertilizers or pesticides. Raw, dried and toasted seeds, organic flowers and pumpkin meat can all be offered. I don't know if they would eat the meat raw or not but you could try steaming a few smaller chunks and offering both ways and see what they go for.I thought we had a thread in the library about pumpkin as a food but I don't see it. If I find it misfiled I'll relocate and post it.