How to Carve a Pumpkin
Five easy steps to jack-o'-lantern supremacy.
by Jennifer Jeanne Patterson
October 27, 2009
There's nothing like a great jack-o-lantern to lure trick-or-treaters to your home. But, like anything in life, a great jack-o-lantern starts with a great canvas. Find a pumpkin that has smooth, orange skin, sits on a flat surface, and is firm. Its stem should be at least two inches long. Now that you've found your perfect pumpkin, here's how to carve it.
You will need:
• A small, serrated knife
• An ice cream scooper or kitchen spoon
• Vaseline
• Felt-tip marker or stencil
• Newspaper
Optional:
• Thumb tacks or push pins
• Stencil
• Fork
• Candle
Five easy steps to carving a pumpkin:
• Cut a circular opening that's bigger than your fist into the bottom of the pumpkin. Carving from the bottom up gives the pumpkin a cleaner look, plus it's safer. You won't burn your hand when you try to light a candle and place the pumpkin over it.
• Use an ice cream scooper or a kitchen spoon to clean and scrape the inside. The pumpkin wall should be no more than one inch thick.
• Draw your design on your pumpkin using a felt tip pen, or download a stencil from the Internet. Attach the stencil to your pumpkin using push pins or thumbtacks. Poke along the cut lines with a fork.
• Carve along your cut lines. If you plan to use a votive, carve a vent hole at the top of the pumpkin. (Never leave a lit jack-o-lantern unattended for any length of time.) If a piece breaks you can use toothpicks to hold it together.
• Seal your cuts by dabbing on some petroleum jelly. That will prevent browning.
Now that you've carved your pumpkin, store it in a cool dark place, not room temperature, where it will rot quickly and attract fruit flies. Happy luring!
©2009 Jennifer Samuel and Babble
About the Author
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Jennifer Jeanne Patterson is the author of 52 Fights, and was a creative consultant on the pilot ABC/Touchstone shot of it. Now she stays home with her three children, where she is struggling to figure out how to stock her pantry and cook without burning her home down. Read her blog at http://www.unplannedcooking.com |
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