Today I had a busy day shopping, while I was out I realised that the supermarkets have started selling pumpkins. My favourite thing about pumpkins is carving them for Halloween, nothing shouts it's Halloween more than a spooky faced pumpkin. The supermarket had loads of pumpkins all different shapes and sizes.
Here is a little guide on how to pick an almost perfect pumpkin for carving:
- The pumpkin should be as close to symmetrical as you can find.
- Pumpkins that have no stems do not last as long as pumpkins with stems that are 1-2 inches long.
- Avoid pumpkins that do not sit upright.
- Avoid pumpkins with holes, cuts or soft spots, These areas will decay.
- Use your thumbnail to test, press your thumbnail on to the pumpkin not too hard, if it makes a scratch or a dint on the pumpkin avoid it.
- Lighter pumpkins are much more easier to cut and carve than darker pumpkins as darker pumpkins have thicker skins.
Have you ever carved a pumpkin one year and it has just lasted over Halloween? Well here is some tried and tested tips I recommend for keeping your pumpkin preserved for longer.
- After you have chosen your perfect pumpkin you will be cutting the top off and scraping out the guts, in my opinion this is the worst bit! You need to get everything out, I use an ice cream scoop to really scrape it all out and get every last seed out!
- After you have carved your pumpkin you need to soak it in cold water and let it sit for 2 hours, you can use ice to make it extra cold.
- Your pumpkin needs to be dry for the next step, you will need to rub Vaseline or vegetable oil on to all the parts of the pumpkin that have been cut, this stops moisture escaping.
- I use an battery powered candle in my pumpkin to make it last longer. Using candles cooks the inside and shortens it's lifespan.
Pumpkins usually last 7-10 days after they have been carved so I will be carving mine this week and posting my pumpkin pictures soon.
Will you be carving a pumpkin this year? Do you have any pumpkin tips?
Lunalue x
No comments:
Post a Comment