When should you carve your pumpkin?

Pumpkins only last 3 days to 1 week before rotting, depending on the weather conditions. Why? Pumpkins are 90% water! So carve as CLOSE to Halloween as possible to ensure your Jack O Lantern looks it best on Halloween. Always store your pumpkin in a cool/dry location to ensure longevity.

I carved my pumpkin too soon, what should I do?

Depending on how soon before Halloween you carved it, you have a few options. Coat the carved parts with Vaseline (petroleum jelly). WARNING: Do NOT use real candles alongside Vaseline, which is flammable. After carving, wipe down all surfaces of the pumpkin with a vinegar-water solution (1 part vinegar to 1 part water) to kill bacteria and fungal spores. You can then spray the pumpkin daily with this solution. Place a packet of silica gel inside the pumpkin to absorb moisture. If your pumpkin is starting to degrade early on, try dumping it in an ice bath. However, you can only do this once. Pumpkins don’t respond well to too many temperature changes.

How do I pick the best pumpkin?

Before carving, choose a pumpkin with a solid stem and no soft spots on any side (be sure to check the opposite end from the stem!). Find a pumpkin from a farm or local nursery if possible, as it will be fresher than pumpkins trucked in from far away. Also, do NOT pick up a pumpkin by its stem, which can break easily; the stem continues to feed nutrients to the fruit after cutting it from the vine.

What is the bleach solution method to help preserve a pumpkin?

Combine 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water and put in a spray bottle. Spray the inside of your carved pumpkin and all of the cut surfaces with the solution. This will kill a lot of the surface bacteria and mold that cause rotting. Let the pumpkin sit for 20 minutes, and then rinse with cool water. (Be sure to wear gloves so you don’t touch the bleach solution directly.)