Pumpkin Life and Preservation

My definition of a good site is one that has useful information and which is updated from time to time. That describes Pumpkin Carving 101 (which I blogged about last Halloween) to a "T".

There are products you can buy to prolong the lifespan of your jack-o-lantern, but before delving into the recommended product, Pumpkin Carving 101 gives you a free tip, saying:

One technique is to coat all cut surfaces of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly immediately after they have been carved. 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 into the pumpkin.

The petroleum jelly acts as a barrier to seal in the pumpkins internal moisture to help slow down the dehydration process of the pumpkin. 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.

If you've got kids who love to get their hands messy, this'll be loads of fun!

Cold temperatures help pumpkin preservation too, so if you're going through a warm spell at the end of October, remember to keep your jack-o-lanterns out of direct sunlight.

About the photo: I like to use different members of the squash family to decorate not just for Halloween, but throughout the season. This photo is courtesy of a user at stock.xchng (www.sxc.hu).

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