Carving
Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween is a tradition
that goes far back in history. What says
Halloween more than a Jack-O-Lantern glowing on
a dark night? You'll find history, carving tips
and much more here.
Dark Decorations
Create your own creepy decorations for Halloween night.
Hardcopy Showcase
Reviews of Halloween
related videos, books, zines and music.
Tricks and Treats
Check out our growing
cookbook of Halloween
recipes.
LIFESPAN OF A
JACK-O-LANTERN
Depending on your local weather
conditions during the month of October, a carved pumpkin can have a life span any were of from a week to only a day.
The best way to make a carved pumpkin last
longer is to slow down the dehydration process and deter the on-set of mold.
When pumpkins shrivel up, it's because they
have lost moisture. You can usually restore them back to their original condition by
soaking them in water overnight.
One
technique is to coat all cut surfaces of the
pumpkin with petroleum jelly immediately
after carving. This includes a light coating
of the entire inside of the pumpkin. If you
can't do the whole inside, at least try to
coat the design that you've cut. The
petroleum jelly acts as a barrier to seal in
the pumpkins internal moisture to help slow
down the dehydration process.
You can use a finger to coat the eyes, nose
and mouth but you may want to use a paper
towel with jelly on it to coat the inside.
It's less messy that way.
Because of the amount of pumpkins we
carve for Halloween, we usually carve most, if not all the pumpkins one or two days before
Halloween. Because temperature, particularly heat, it is important to move the pumpkins to
a dry, shaded area during the day. This will help to extend their life. If you have a spare refrigerator, you can empty it out and keep them in it over night to slow down
decomposition.
Another
way to keep them fresh is to use a pumpkin dip that is available at most grocery stores or
stands that sell pumpkins during the Halloween season. Pumpkin dip is mixed with water in
a large container and the pumpkins are submerged in it, sometimes over night, in order to
preserve them. This is a tedious and messy way to keep your pumpkins fresh as you have to
do it every night after they have been carved.
We have found spray-on preservers are
available as well as dips and much easier to use. Most are low
cost, environmentally friendly products that impede the deterioration of
jack-o’-lanterns by deterring mold, rot and bugs. Most contain all natural ingredients
and come in a convenient spray bottle for easy application. Just spray the inside and cut
parts, let it drain if you spray too heavily and let dry. It really does work, we use
spray on pumpkin preserver on our pumpkins every Halloween!
