Sign of the season: Pumpkins and other cucurbits sit on a garden cart at a festival in Nevers, France, on Oct. 4. (Frédéric Moreau/Hans Lucas | AFP/Getty Images) Pumpkins are the bookends of autumn.

If you have rotting pumpkins starting to ruin your front porch aesthetic, there's a way to get rid of them that's much more fun and fulfilling than tossing them into the garbage — and better for the ...