How to Easily Make Your Carved Halloween Pumpkin Last Longer!

How to Preserve Your Carved Pumpkin to Make It Last Longer!

A little simple Halloween magic with household items will make your Jack O'Lantern last a week longer!

Did you carve a great pumpkin last year only to have it rot days before Halloween? Here's how to preserve and protect it!

What causes the pumpkin to decay?

There are several primary causes heartbreak of "pumpkin rot"

• The intact skin of a pumpkin protects it until you carve it. But then various organisms (fungi, bacteria, molds, fungi, protozoans, insects - scientifically know as "those little buggers!") can get inside and start to break it down.
• Oxygen in the air can also easily enter and break down the pumpkin (oxidation).
• Simple dehydration (drying out) will will begin the moment the pumpkin is carved.

All of this will turn your carved young happy pumpkin face into a sad old man in several days time!

How to stop pumpkin aging:

Get Dad's Rogaine and Mom's Botox.... no, just kidding! What we need to do is

• Sterilize the pumpkin's carved surfaces (to kill fungi, mold, bacteria, bugs)
• Keep the pumpkin cool to slow bacteria growth and reduce drying
• Keep the pumpkin hydrated

Essentially, we're going to embalm your Jack O'Lantern, just like the ancient Egyptians did their mummies! (Hey, maybe they practiced on pumpkins!)

Here are the simple steps:

1. Remove dirt: Wipe the exterior surfaces of the pumpkin clean using a damp cloth.
2. Make a bleach solution of1 tablespoon of bleach (typical brand name "Clorox) per quart of water and put it in a spray bottle.
3. Spray the pumpkin inside and all cut areas of the pumpkin with the solution. This will kill much of the surface bacteria and mold that cause rotting.
4. Let it penetrate and dry for about 20 minutes
5. Drain any excess liquid out of the pumpkin
6. Now, keep your pumpkin out of direct sunlight and try to keep it as cool as possible (but above freezing!) and you should get at least a week's enjoyment out of it! Then when it's time to go, you can employ several thousand laborers to build a giant pyramid in your backyard to entomb your Jack O'Mummy! Next week: building a pumpkin sarcophagus! Ok, maybe we're getting carried away. But hey, kids love the analogy; anything having to do with mummies or dinosaurs!

If you want to see an actual experiment trying different pumpkin preserving methods, see this page!

Click here to see kits, tools, books and templates for carving pumpkins.

Halloween Costumes

Here are some of the most popular Halloween costumes for children this year. For more choices, see our Halloween costumes pages.

Inflatable Riding Dinosaur Costume for Adults - everyone LOVES this costume. It's a hit where ever you go!

Harry Potter Costume Kids Plush Robe - With a hood, one for each house, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hogwarts

Wizard Robe Cloak Halloween costume for Kids

Girl's Sparkle Princess Costume - In pink, for small girls

Sew your own Halloween Costumes with Patterns from the Singer Sewing Reference Library

Pizza Costume for Kids - A giant slice of pizza Halloween Costume for Children and Teens

Easy Halloween Costumes for Children - Miniature patterns for 3 to 12 year old children, just enlarge and use

 

 

Find Related Information and Resources Here!

Here's the quick list to related farms for PYO, Honey, Pumpkins, Christmas trees, etc.:

You may find these websites useful!

Local pick your own farms for apples, strawberries, raspberries, corn, tomatoes, etcr

Farm markets and roadside stands

Local Honey Finder

Children's consignment sales

Local Meat, Milk and Eggs

Christmas Tree Farms and lots

Road tripping and camping tips, tricks and How-to's

Fun Factory Tours

Venues for you event: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party

Easter egg hunts

Festivals: Fruit and vegetable festivals

Winery tours and wine tastings

Horses: rides, stables, lessons, trails

Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks

Bed and Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards

Zombie Paintball venues

Environmental resources

Consumer fraud information

Wholesale food sources

Resources for Farmers

Pumpkin patches

Corn mazes