When you shopping for pumpkins to carve, how can you tell which one is a good pumpkin?
mike
Alice asked:
For the last two years it seems that the pumpkins the local stores pick up are nasty and they die fast. How can you tell if a pumpkin will make a good carving pumpkin? Does it have to be ripe? or close to ripe? Do you knock on it to tell if its a good pumpkin? I need some tips for picking pumpkins? Thanks!
7 Responses to “When you shopping for pumpkins to carve, how can you tell which one is a good pumpkin?”
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September 25th, 2008 at 8:16 am
I like them firm. I look for one that is a shape I like. Keep them cool and they last longer.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
make sure there hard, and of course i go by the shape.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
The firmer, the better. Lots of people wait until the last minute to get one but you usually don’t get a very shapely one and it’s not going to last as long as you think…. Don’t forget that they did travel some ways and they sat at the store.
The former poster is right though, keep your pumpkin in the fridge so it lasts longer. Maybe try spritzing the inside, after you’ve carved it to hydrate it.
Also, if you put a little cinnamon under the stem, when you burn your candle, it smells great!
Good luck and I hope you have a Happy Halloween!
September 28th, 2008 at 11:09 am
i like it hallow then u dont have to take out all that orange stuff
October 1st, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I just go with what I am carving. If I am carving something scary I want something that looks imperfect. And if I am going with something cute I go firm and perfectly rounded. You can also go to a pumpkin farm. They have good pumpkins that last longer. It also gets you in the spirt! Have Fun! And Good Luck!
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:14 am
get it at a pumpkin farm or farmers market instead of the grocery store.
tap it and if it sounds hollow it is ripe.
make sure it’s fairly smooth with no blemishes.
wash the pumpkin with a mixture of bleach and water before you carve then dry it.
carve it. soak it in a bath or bucket of water for over night or 8 hours.
rub lemon juice over all the cut areas and the inside.
also rub Vaseline over all the cut areas so the moister doesn’t evaporate from the pumpkin.
if it’s hot keep your pumpkin inside during the day. if it’s really cold/snowing keep your pumpkin inside during the day/night. Keep your pumpkin in a cool(not cold) area away from hot or cold weather.
October 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Choosing a pumpkin for carving can be a pain in the ****. If you have access to a local grower that is where you are going to find your best pumpkins. If you don’t have any other place to go but your local store. Find the shape you want, look for any dull or brown spots. Then look for soft spots. It you find that the pumpkin is soft to touch then it won’t last long after you carve them. If the pumpkin is hard and you knock on the pumpkin and it sounds more hollow and has little or no smell then you found one that will last for a few days. Keeping pumpkins cool after carving is the best way to preserve them. So don’t carve them day’s ahead of time. The other option is to draw the faces on them to set them out BEFORE the holiday and then bring them in so you can carve them out the night before the holiday.