Keeping that jack-o-lantern fresh for Halloween
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Did you know ... ?
The largest pumpkin ever grown was a 1,689-pound squash from North Scituate, R.I.
Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and have been grown in North America for 5,000 years.
The Irish brought pumpkin ...
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Did you know ... ?
The largest pumpkin ever grown was a 1,689-pound squash from North Scituate, R.I.
Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and have been grown in North America for 5,000 years.
The Irish brought pumpkin carving to the United States. They originally carved turnips, but found a plethora of pumpkins in the United States and found them easier to carve.
The world's largest pumpkin pie was baked in 2005 and weighed a whopping 2,020 pounds.
Sources: http://www.pumpkinfresh.com/facts.html, www.history.com.
From toothy grins to frightening phantoms and a ghoulish ghost or two, a person can carve virtually anything onto that orange canvas better known as the pumpkin.
But, regardless of how artistically inclined the carver might be, a pumpkin loses its scare factor if it shrivels and molds days before Halloween.
To help, the Advocate gathered a variety of preservation methods and put them to the test.
Which ones kept the seasonal squash alive and well, and which left it for dead? Find out here.
Pumpkin 1: Control
Method: This pumpkin was left completely untreated after the carving.
Materials: None
Results: This pumpkin held strong for the first few days but, by day 4, had already begun to get a bit soggy on the bottom. It quickly deteriorated from there, developing a carpet of fuzzy gray mold on day 5, which darkened and spread as the days progressed. The final few days left the pumpkin deflated.
Word to the wise: Those who opt not to use any preservatives on the carved pumpkin might want to wait until just a day or two before Halloween to carry out the carving.
Pumpkin 2: Glue
Method: White glue covered every cut surface of this pumpkin after its carving.
Materials: white glue
Results: This pumpkin remained fairly unscathed for the first few days, but by day 4, it appeared to be drying out. The lid began shrinking on day 5 and completely fell inside by day 6. The pumpkin remained severely dehydrated, its carved parts deforming. Only a bit of mold formed.
Word to the wise: Keep a towel handy while applying the glue.
Pumpkin 3: petroleum jelly
Method: Petroleum jelly covered cut surfaces after carving.
Materials: Petroleum jelly
Results: This slippery, slimy protection method kept the pumpkin healthy through the first four days, but by day 5 it had developed hints of white and gray mold, especially around the top opening. By day 7 the mold was still fairly mild, but the pumpkin had begun to get soggy. Throughout the process, flies and other creepy-crawlers seemed to find this the most attractive pumpkin.
Word to the wise: Have a towel handy before applying petroleum jelly to the pumpkin. This one left the carver briefly unable to open her front door.
Pumpkin 4: Hair spray
Method: A coat of hair spray covered the cut surfaces after carving.
Materials: aerosol hair spray
Results: This pumpkin took on a slightly dehydrated appearance by day 3 and, on day 5, mold was evident. By day 7, this pumpkin was a sad spectacle.
Word to the wise: Hair spray can be flammable, so avoid using a lighted candle inside this pumpkin.
Pumpkin 5: Bleach
Method: After it was carved, this pumpkin sat in a bucket filled with a solution of bleach and water for eight hours. The mixture was comprised of two tablespoons of bleach for every gallon of water. Covered surfaces were sprayed with the mixture daily.
Materials: Bucket, water, bleach, spray bottle
Results: The clear winner of the bunch, this pumpkin developed no mold or evident rotting throughout the seven-day period, although it did look somewhat dehydrated.
Word to the wise: Be sure the bucket used to soak the pumpkin is large enough that it can be easily removed. This one had to be cut out of the bucket.
