5 tips to help keep your pumpkin carvings scary fresh for Halloween
Halloween night is still days away, but if you plan to use the weekend to carve your pumpkin, you might need some help keeping your jack-o-lanterns fresh for trick-or-treaters to see.
First things first: you’ll want to pick a pumpkin that’s got the best chance of survival once you carve into it. The average jack-o-lantern will start wilting after about three to five days, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
That’s why it’s important to pick a pumpkin that is firm, according to Better Homes and Gardens.
“Soft spots are a key sign that the pumpkin won’t last much longer—the decaying process has begun,” the magazine reported. “This goes for the stem, too.
You’ll also want to pick a pumpkin that has a hollow sound when you knock on it — just like a good watermelon — and one with a darker color, according to Better Homes and Gardens.
Here are some other tips you might not have heard about:
1. Let your pumpkin dry first
Dry your pumpkin thoroughly before you start carving, suggests Organic Authority.
Dry your pumpkins on a wooden pallet in a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight to extend their usefulness even longer, suggests eHow. Be sure they’re not touching each other.
2. Start at the bottom
When you’re ready to make the first cut into your pumpkin, don’t start with cutting around the stem, Bristol Live reports, as that will shorten the pumpkin’s lifespan. Instead, cut a hole from the bottom to take out all the seeds and pumpkin guts.
3. Break out the bleach
“The best way to clean your pumpkin after carving is to use bleach,” according to the Mother Nature Network. Clorox brand says that spraying the inside of your pumpkin with bleach and water can help keep “fuzzy mold and black mildew” from growing inside your masterpiece.
FoodHacks says dunking your carved pumpkins in a bleach solution for two minutes can prevent mold for up to seven days.
4. Don’t let it dry out
Dry pumpkins tend to shrivel, warns Woman’s Day. Keep your jack-o-lantern hydrated by spraying it daily with water mixed with a few drops of bleach. Or you can use commercial sprays, which also can help fight off mold, according to the publication.
Some petroleum jelly, WD-40 or vegetable oil on the exposed cuts also can help keep your jack-o-lantern moist, Woman’s Day reports. In that case, don’t use candles to light it up on Halloween -- all three are flammable. And clean your pumpkin with bleach before you seal in moisture, along with any bacteria.
Lemon juice also can work to keep exposed edges from turning brown, Smithsonian Magazine suggests.
If your pumpkin still shrivels after a few days, Good Housekeeping suggests a face-down bath in cold water for up to eight hours - for the jack-o-lantern, not you.
5. Or don’t carve it at all
You also can just skip all the mess and bother by painting your pumpkin, instead, suggests Country Living. And since no sharp implements are involved, even younger kids can get in on the fun.
Much like carving a pumpkin, use a stencil to set your pattern, then paint away with acrylic or latex paints, suggests Better Homes and Gardens. Test your paints first on a hidden part of the gourd - pumpkin skins repel some paints.
How to carve your pumpkin safely
This story was originally published October 28, 2018 at 12:34 PM.