Great Pumpkin Keeping Secrets

Fall & Pumpkin Carving

We are in the dog days of summer and we are quickly approaching the fall season. There is one fall activity most families enjoy and that’s going to the pumpkin patch and picking pumpkins.  The kids are back in school and they are all talking about Halloween and the best pumpkin patch to go to and what costume they want for Halloween.  Pumpkins make great fall decorations, not only for Halloween but right up to Thanksgiving if you know how to keep them in good condition. But we all face the thorny issue of messy pumpkins on the porch before Halloween. So how do you preserve your pumpkins so you can actually enjoy them as decorations for a few weeks and maybe till Thanksgiving?

We have some ingenious tips for being able to enjoy your carved pumpkins for longer periods of time and uncarved pumpkins for even longer. No one wants to deal with a hollow, fly-invested, moldy pumpkin! So here are some tips that might help you enjoy your carved pumpkin longer.

Be Gentle with Your Pumpkins

To extend the life of your pumpkins, it’s best to handle them as little as possible. The only time you should touch your pumpkins is when you pick them, unload them to your home, clean it out and carve your pumpkins. Carry your pumpkin like a bag of groceries from the bottom and cradle it, don’t hold it by the stem. Broken pumpkin stems let in bacteria and start the aging process quicker.

The oil and bacteria from your hands can speed up the pumpkin decomposition process quickly. So only touch your pumpkins when you really need to. Washing your hands prior to touching or carrying your pumpkins will extend their longevity. Dropping, bruising, or fingernail scratches all start the rotting process quicker. In the best of all worlds, once carved place your pumpkin in its desired home for the season, and don’t touch it again.

Location Is Important

Most of us like to decorate our pathway or porch with pumpkins, but keep in mind how the sun hits your house and yard when finding the best placement for your carved pumpkins. Pumpkins enjoy a covered porch–a dry and shaded spot for the season. The extremes are what hasten the pumpkin decaying process; so, rain and sun are the pumpkin’s enemies for longevity. Too much sun will dry out your pumpkin, while moisture from rain can lead to mold and mush! So, a sheltered placement for your fall pumpkin decorations is best.

Pumpkin Guts

When you are cleaning out your pumpkins make sure the insides are completely dry and free of all seeds. We share a simple recipe below on how to make roasted homemade pumpkin seeds. Before starting to carve your pumpkins let the inside cavity dry out completely; moisture inside the pumpkin is the pumpkin’s enemy because moisture with air exposure from carving will lead to quicker rotting.

Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe

When cleaning out your pumpkin prior to carving, scoop out all the pumpkin seeds and save them to a paper towel or newspaper.

1. Pick the seeds from the pumpkin pulp and put them into a large pot of boiling salted water and simmer for about 5 minutes. This will help remove the last of the pumpkin debris. This helps to clean the seeds really well.
2. Drain and rinse the seeds and pull away any debris and then let them dry on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet.
3. Toss your seeds with olive oil and seasonings of your choice.
4. Spread the seeds in one layer to roast. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
5. Stir your seeds at least once during the baking process for 15-25 minutes, till the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.
6. Cool your roasted pumpkin seeds and store them in an airtight container or sip lock bag. Roasted seeds are good for a couple of weeks at least after roasting.

We love roasted pumpkin seeds and they are good for you. This is a great project to do with your kids, it’s both easy and fun. We like using garlic, tamari, sea salt, and about any other spice, we love to make great-tasting pumpkin seeds. If you want a sweet treat, toss your pumpkin seeds with coconut oil and mix in sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Clean Your Pumpkins

Mix one part bleach and ten parts water in a large container or your bathtub if you have a lot of pumpkins to wash. Bathe your pumpkins in this solution for about two minutes. The pumpkin will tend to want to float so you need to make sure that it is rotated in the water bath so all sides have been covered.

Let the pumpkins dry completely in the spot you have chosen for their fall home. Be very sure the base and stem are very dry because this is where water tends to pool and not dry completely. You can also use the bath solution as a daily spray to keep bacteria from forming on your pumpkins and keeping them healthy, just make sure no water is pooling and they are dry at the end of the process.

Moisturize Your Pumpkin

I know, this starts to get confusing, first, we tell you to make sure your pumpkin is totally dry on the inside with no gut residue, and now we are telling you to moisturize your pumpkin. What gives? Carving pumpkins speeds up the decaying process, so best to do the first steps and have an un-carved pumpkin up until a week before Halloween, it gives your pumpkin the best chance of a hardy long life.

If you do decide to carve your pumpkins from the start rub-down the insides after carving with olive oil or coconut oil to moisturize them. Since both are oils, it’s best to use a battery-operated candle in your pumpkins since battery-operated candles produce less heat, they don’t speed up the pumpkin decaying process as much.

Keep Pests at Bay

Anything from fruit flies to a pesky raccoon family can mean a shorter life for your pumpkins! Put your pumpkins up on a porch, a hay bale, or a windowsill to keep squirrels and raccoons using your pumpkins as snack food. To keep fruit flies away, put out a saucer of wine next to your pumpkins or beer, the fruit flies are attracted to the liquid and die. The foolproof method is a large mason jar with punches made in the lid and wine or beer inside the mason jar. The fruit flies can get in, but they can’t get out.

Pumpkin Insurance Spray

This is a two-in-one remedy; use a peppermint-based spray for your pumpkins. Mix some peppermint liquid soap with peppermint essential oil. Peppermint has anti-fungal properties, plus both fruit flies and ants don’t like peppermint. The peppermint oil spray will keep your pumpkin soft and smooth when they begin to dry out, plus it’s a great natural pest deterrent.

You put a lot of time into finding the perfect pumpkin, carving it, and adding it to your fall decorations, the above tips will help ensure that your pumpkins have the longest life possible during our fall holiday season.