It's fall, y'all, and that means pumpkins!
The orange gourds are the centerpiece of holiday decorations this time of year, but how do you make them last as long as possible?
Pick the right pumpkin
First, pick a good one!
If you can, purchase one grown at a local pumpkin patch. That way, you know it hasn't been damaged during shipping.
Also, make sure the pumpkin you pick is firm, without any soft spots. Rotting will start in those soft spots sooner rather than later!
Bleach & petroleum jelly
Whether you are going to carve it or not, wash your pumpkin thoroughly in a bleach solution. Mix up a teaspoon of bleach per one quart of water and put the solution in a spray bottle to disperse it evenly.
If you do carve it, also clean the insides of the pumpkin with bleach. This will hopefully keep your pumpkin guts from molding!
Once you've carved your jack-o-lantern, grab the petroleum jelly. You can use it around the edges of your cuts to make them last longer. If you don't have Vaseline, vegetable oil or WD-40 works, too.
And don't put that bleach solution up yet. Spray it on your pumpkin every day to keep it moist and prevent it from drying out so quickly. If it really starts to wilt, see if a night in an ice bath will revive it, but don't forget to dry it thoroughly afterwards.
Avoid too much sun & weather extremes
Think about your pumpkin's placement on the porch! It will last longer if you keep it out of direct sunlight!
Varying temperatures could do some damage. Pumpkins are best kept at a steady temperature of 50-60 degrees. If we have one of those fall heat waves, or you are expecting a freeze overnight, you may want to bring your pumpkins inside during the temperature swings to preserve them.
No real candles!
In addition to being a fire danger, using a lit candle in your jack-o-lantern can also damage it. That flickering flame will actually be cooking the flesh of the pumpkin. Consider using glow sticks or flickering flameless candles instead.
Maybe don't carve it at all?
The best way to preserve your pumpkin is not to to carve it all! You can draw the scary faces on your pumpkin with black permanent markers or deck them out with glitter and googly eyes!
Toss the ones with soft spots
If you do have a pile of pumpkins, instead of just one, watch out for rot! One soft spot can quickly spread to the others in your porch patch, so toss those quickly to keep the others safe.
