Halloween is coming up on Thursday, so if you're planning to carve your pumpkin this weekend, it might be a challenge to keep it looking fresh all week. Here's five things you can do to help it last:
1. Clean the inside thoroughly. Make sure the inside of your pumpkin is as clean and dry as possible by removing all of the pumpkin guts and seeds before you carve it. Leaving anything behind is what makes it get moldy fast.
2. Apply some petroleum jelly or oil. Putting Vaseline or vegetable oil on the carved edges will keep them moisturized and stop it from drying out. But those are flammable, so don't put a regular candle inside your pumpkin! Use an electric candle, a small light, or glow stick instead.
3. Store it in the fridge. Put your pumpkin in a plastic bag in your refrigerator when you go to bed each night. If there's not enough room, use a cool, dark area of your house.
4. Re-hydrate the pumpkin daily. Pumpkins can shrivel up when they run out of moisture. Spraying it every day with water mixed with a few drops of bleach will keep it moist and stop bacteria from growing.
And if your pumpkin is starting to look really, really sad... give it an ice bath overnight, and dry it thoroughly to prevent mold growth.
OR
5. Don't carve it. An uncarved pumpkin will stay fresh way longer than a carved one. So if you want to be sure your pumpkin will last until Halloween, paint it, draw on it, or look online for other ideas that don't involve carving.