Grow Your Own Magazine

Shortie · #1 (**permalink**) 14-10-2006, 10:37 AM

Has anyone ever carved a halloween pumpkin before? I'm going to do it for the first time ever this year...

Any tips please?

I want to keep as much flesh as I can as I hope it will be nice enough for cooking (though I've heard that some halloween sized pumpkin's aren't sweet flavoured flesh due to their size...)

Also, how many days before you want to use it should you carve it? I'm thinking not the same day as it'll be too damp for the candle to stay alight, but too soon and it may dry and shrivle up...?

Adam Fletcher · #2 (**permalink**) 14-10-2006, 10:42 AM

Hi Shortie

I have carved pumpkins before and its a really hard job.
Tip 1. Do not cut your hands off

Tip 2. Have a really sharp knife

I have never ate pumpkin before so I am not sure how it will taste !

The pumpkin should be carved the day before as it will go hard and smell if left to long

Mrs Dobby · #3 (**permalink**) 14-10-2006, 11:27 AM

Have a look in some of the supermarkets, we got a great kit a few years ago with loads of great designs and some fab tools to make it easier, but if you cant find anything, then I'd suggest cutting the top off at an angle (so it sits back on when you put it back), use a short sharp knife to cut it, a spoon to scoop out the flesh and I'd not do it more than a day or so before you want to display it, as they tend to turn to mush quite quickly once hollowed and cut out!

I've never had a problem with using a nightlight even just a few minutes after carving, so dont worry about the flesh being too wet, it isnt IMHO!

Another tip we've used iis to display the finished and illuminated pumpkin in a wire hanging basket, from even a few feet you cant see the basket at night and it appears as though your glowing pumpkin is floating!

Hope this all helps! I love pumpkins and carving them, always have at least 3 done and the whole house decorated for Halloween / Samhain!

Shortie · #4 (**permalink**) 14-10-2006, 12:01 PM

Thanks guys. If I don't post shortly after halloween, you know I have no fingers left!

Waffler · #5 (**permalink**) 14-10-2006, 12:30 PM

I love having a 'jack o lantern' for halloween - and last years trick or treaters were impressed to see it when they came 'begging'! I carved mine the day before and actually kept it for a few days before it started to sag, so it wasn't a problem for me. Also, the pumpkin was bought from a supermarket and I did use the flesh to make soup and it was DELISH! so probably don't worry about that either.

I don't particularly have any tips for you, but will say that it's harder than you might think! Good luck - hope it turns out the way you plan! and that you keep all your digits!

monkeybum · #6 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 08:54 AM

When I was little you couldn't get pumpkins where we lived so we hollowed out turnips. You can imagine how hard that was. I am still no good at it, get the OH to do it, that is my tip!

Earthbabe · #7 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seedsforsuccess@fsmail.ne

The pumpkin should be carved the day before as it will go hard and smell if left to long

Yes, I found out the hard way by carving one a good few days before hand and it went all white, mouldy and generally foul.

Like the idea about the hanging basket Mrs Dobby. Looks like we'll have a lot more decoration this year. Miss E already has a costume and a batter-operated light up pumpkin and balloons. She suggested fake webbing and plastic spiders but we've got enough real ones in the house without adding more.

Mrs Dobby · #8 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earthbabe

Like the idea about the hanging basket Mrs Dobby. Looks like we'll have a lot more decoration this year. Miss E already has a costume and a batter-operated light up pumpkin and balloons. She suggested fake webbing and plastic spiders but we've got enough real ones in the house without adding more.

Lol! So have we, but it hasnt stopped Mr Dobby from buying some of that netting from Asda! I love decorating the house for Halloween, we've signs that hang on the fence pointing to the Dungeon, have tealights all the way down the sides of the drive in glasses (in the flower beds), at least 3 carved pumpkins, a doorchime that speaks spookily ('Welcome! Hahahaha! Enter if you dare!') A lifesize grim reaper that hangs on the stairs, a 12" high grinning rat, a smoking / lit up cauldron, a couple of besom that hang under the porch (look like they are floating), a wandering 4" eyeball that glows and sings the Addams family theme tune, a few skulls and various other sundry horrific paraphenalia! Local kids love it! Had about 50 of them call last year, loved handing out sweets from the pumpkin sweet jar! Lol!

Shortie · #9 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 04:46 PM

Wow Mrs D, that's a decorated house and a half!

I dread Halloween and Christmas round here as every 15 mins or so, for days either side of the date we get knocks, and round here the kids aren't after sweets!! Sorry if that sounds like bah-humbug, if it was just sweets I'd enjoy it. One little sh*t decided last year to come back when we didn't answer the door and open it and let himself in

That's made me even more adamant to lock the front door and not answer it now. To be honest I'm not normally in the slightest bit bothered being on my own at night but it has mad me a bit apprehensive this year about if OH goes out. I'm locking our front and back door.

Sorry... rant over

The pumpkin still rules indoors though!!

bramble · #10 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 05:49 PM

Hi Shortie, this has nothing to do with carving pumpkins but if you are looking for halloween decorations or candles Lidl are selling them tomorrow and they have quite a nice selection. thought you might like to have a look.

Mrs Dobby · #11 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shortie

Wow Mrs D, that's a decorated house and a half!

I dread Halloween and Christmas round here as every 15 mins or so, for days either side of the date we get knocks, and round here the kids aren't after sweets!! Sorry if that sounds like bah-humbug, if it was just sweets I'd enjoy it. One little sh*t decided last year to come back when we didn't answer the door and open it and let himself in

That's made me even more adamant to lock the front door and not answer it now. To be honest I'm not normally in the slightest bit bothered being on my own at night but it has mad me a bit apprehensive this year about if OH goes out. I'm locking our front and back door.

Sorry... rant over

The pumpkin still rules indoors though!!

Sorry to hear of the probs Shortie, I guess we are fairly lucky that its mostly younger kids (with their parents or older siblings in tow), and I love seeing them in their cute costumes!

Halloween also happens to be our wedding anniversary, so we enjoy pushing the boat out a little, have even been known to have a barbecue out the front and sit round the fire till late iof the weather is dry! Tis a great day in our calendar!

shirlthegirl43 · #12 (**permalink**) 15-10-2006, 08:31 PM

Pumpkin carving is great fun. Tips are to allow plenty of time as it is harder than you think. Keep patient. Your fingers will be killing you by the time you are done. Carve on the day you want it and then keep cool and as dry as possible. In Atlanta last year, our pumpking stayed looking good for a good 10 days but I haven't managed to keep one that long in the UK.

We have full Halloween lights up now for the first time here at home. We bought them last year when in Atlanta and decided it was a shame not to bring them home. Cars keep slowing down to look as they go past!! Wish I could post pics as I could share the 'cheesiness'!!

FoxHillGardener · #13 (**permalink**) 16-10-2006, 12:42 PM

I also got one of those carving kits from supermarket a few years ago. It had a set of templates that you sellotape onto the pumpkin then use a thin pointy tool to mark round all the edges. Then when you take the template off you can see the lines to cut and it's a bit easier as it's already perforated through the skin. There's a couple of little saws in the kit. They're really narrow so you can do quite intricate patterns.

Getting as much of the insides out as possible makes carving easier too since the walls you're carving are thinner. Very messy and makes your wrist ache but well worth putting in the effort - the kit has a scoopy tool which works quite well

Last year my OH took photos of us doing scary (sort of!) expressions then used a software package to turn them into black and white templates and get them the right size for the pumpkin. They worked really well. We've got some photos somewhere. I'll see if I can find them and post them up

This is the kit I got
http://www.pumpkincarvingkit.co.uk/

FoxHillGardener · #14 (**permalink**) 16-10-2006, 12:43 PM

just done a search and found this for the lazy carver

http://www.firebox.com/index.html?di...t=wnw&aff=1272

Mrs Dobby · #15 (**permalink**) 16-10-2006, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxHillGardener

just done a search and found this for the lazy carver

http://www.firebox.com/index.html?di...t=wnw&aff=1272

Cool link! Thanks, but after seeing it I'm sure our dremmel type thingy will happily do the same job! Just never thought of it before!

Mind you, not sure what Mr D will think of me using his power tools for carving pumpkins!

Shortie · #16 (**permalink**) 16-10-2006, 09:55 PM

Cheers FoxHillGardener!

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