How To Keep The Halloween Pumpkin Longer?

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

On Halloween, pumpkins are everywhere! A dream opportunity to decorate your home and your garden with this big mysterious fruit! In order to celebrate the horror festival, the original pumpkin decoration ideas are more and more numerous and creative every year. But the famous pumpkin-lantern, called Jack-O'lantern, continues to be one of the iconic and unmissable decorations of All Saints' Day. The festivities oblige, the pumpkin-lantern will disperse a soft light in all the gardens. But do you know how to store the Halloween pumpkin so that it lasts as long as possible? This article explains.

All our tips for keeping Halloween pumpkins for a long time

At the foot of the door or in the garden, the Halloween pumpkin serves as a very original lantern, decorated in different ways, each more creative than the other. You certainly don't want to see it shrivel up or go moldy. And since the hollowed-out pumpkin tends to rot very quickly, the risk that yours will lose all its beauty on the eve of October 31 remains significant. Here are the do's and don'ts to better preserve the Halloween pumpkin.

1. Thorough cleaning is essential

There are many causes that can cause a pumpkin to rot. Big suspects are usually bacteria or mold growth. The best way to deal with them is to prevent their occurrence. To achieve this, thorough cleaning is necessary. Before digging the pumpkin, brush it, wash it with soapy water, and dry it thoroughly. This "operation" helps rid the pumpkin of bacteria, responsible for rotting. It is unthinkable not to clean the tools that you will use to dig and empty the pumpkin either because they can enter bacteria into your future Halloween lantern. They must be perfectly clean.

2. Hollow out the pumpkin, removing as much flesh as possible

To keep your pumpkin lantern as long as possible, dig it out, removing as much flesh as possible. Why is this needed? This is where all the water is, so removing it will prevent the pumpkin from rotting from the inside. At this stage, it is recommended to spray an antibacterial solution in there. Liquid soap will do just fine. You can add a few drops of peppermint or tea tree essential oil to it. Don't throw away the scavenged flesh: use it as an ingredient for your favorite fall soup.

3. An anti-bacterial bath

In order to keep the Halloween pumpkin for a long time, Internet users recommend a tried and approved trick: an anti-bacterial bath. What is required is to soak the carved pumpkin in a solution of white vinegar and cool water for a few hours or overnight. White vinegar is very effective in eliminating microorganisms. The next step is to dry the pumpkin with paper towels or a clean towel. Another trick approved to lengthen the longevity of the large fruit: sprinkle its interior with lemon juice every day. It is also possible to make an anti-bacterial bleach solution (15 ml of bleach to 1 liter of water) in which to soak the pumpkin.

4. Keep cool

Keeping a pumpkin cool is very important so that it lasts longer. If you have chosen a large pumpkin, it is best to leave it outside overnight. In case of high outside temperatures, it is possible to immerse the fruit in a cold water bath. As for the small pumpkins, these keep perfectly in the refrigerator. A tip: wrap them in a garbage bag before placing them in the fridge. Remember to dry the fruit thoroughly each time you take it out.

Other effective tips to prevent the pumpkin-lantern from rotting too quickly

• When intact, the pumpkin can last several weeks or even months before rotting. This, provided that the fruit is healthy and free from disease when picked. When hollowed out, the exposed flesh is susceptible to rotting.

• Rot can be reduced by applying a disinfectant or preservative, such as bleach, salt or sugar.

• While bleach interacts with the air and therefore needs to be reapplied, there is an agent that provides long-lasting protection against the microorganisms and molds that attack hollowed out pumpkin - borax. You can either sprinkle borax powder inside the fruit and on any cut surface, or you can soak the pumpkin in a solution of this substance.

• Salt is the best preservative, but sugar can also dehydrate cells. Soak the pumpkin in a saturated saline or sugar solution or rub salt / sugar inside the fruit and on the cut surfaces. Finish by applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly.

• It is important to keep the carved pumpkin cool when it is not in use. The increase in temperature is conducive to the spread of mold and bacteria.

• If needed, put a large ball of newspaper in the hollowed out pumpkin to absorb moisture.

• Place vegetable oil inside the pumpkin and on the cut parts which will trap moisture while protecting against rot.

• The same trick works with paraffin. The idea is to coat the hollowed pumpkin with a protective film.

• Some Internet users advocate the use of hairspray as a miracle method to keep a pumpkin lantern longer. This trick is indeed very effective! If you're not a fan of the glossy effect, just spray the inside of the pumpkin. Remember to wipe off the excess.

• People who use bleach to treat and disinfect Halloween pumpkins recommend the use of petroleum jelly as a protective film. It is enough only to rub the inside of the fruit well as well as all the cut places with a thin layer. Wipe off the excess amount.

• Silica beads are very effective in absorbing moisture inside the pumpkin. How to proceed ? Stick a few into the flesh and you're done.

• Alternatively, you can buy a store-bought preservative and spray the pumpkin with it every day.

• Lighting a candle inside the lantern helps prevent the early onset of mold.

All these precautions and tips will allow you to enjoy your pumpkin lantern for about a week. To make sure the rotten pumpkin doesn't ruin your party, don't be eager to carve it too far ahead of time. You risk that she will not be presentable for October 31st.