4 hours Ago By Ketsuda Phoutinane
Spooky season has arrived, which means it's time to carve up your best jack-o'-lantern. Besides weighing what carving ideas to attempt this year, the biggest dilemma for Halloween lovers is making their pumpkins last through the month. Birds and squirrels will do their best to get at them, but another obstacle is preventing the gourds from rotting.
How can you make sure your jack-o'-lantern is still there come October 31? Home decoration expert Joshua Houston from Household Quotes has some tips and tricks for choosing the perfect pumpkin and making it last. One tip you may not have heard is to go by the colour of the stem. How do I spot the perfect pumpkin? When looking for the perfect pumpkin, avoid ones that are already damaged or have blemishes on them.
You will know when one is blemished when it has marks on the outside that hinders its appearance. These pumpkins rot quickly, and most likely won’t make it till the end of October. When you pick up a pumpkin, check how soft it is.
Hard pumpkins will last longer as one being soft is a sign that it’s already beginning to rot. If you go to a farm to pick your pumpkins, look out for ones that have a green stem. This will mean that the pumpkin is unripened which will result in it staying fresh for longer than those that don’t.
The size of your pumpkin should relate to your carving ability. Smaller ones are harder, so if you aren’t as crafty then maybe you should go big. This will give you more space to make the perfect creation.
When should you buy your pumpkin? Surprisingly, pumpkins can last anywhere between eight to twelve weeks, this means you can start planning your pumpkin-picking trip now. However, when it comes to carving the pumpkins you must wait until closer to the time. This is because an open pumpkin will begin to rot and mould will build up - a truly scary fate.
Aim to carve your pumpkin from October 26 onwards, this will ensure that it won’t be rotten come Halloween night..
