To Carve or not to Carve

[Chrysalis]

I have been presented with a pumpkin at work to slice up and make into a wonderful display object we can use for our Halloween event and horror book theme day.

This is where I run into a slight problem...I have never carved up a pumpkin in my life! We certainly never really bothered celebrating Halloween in Zim and the UK isn't really big on all the trimmings.
I know the US and Canada do make quite a show of it which I think is great! I wish we did more for it here.

So before I let panic take ahold I thought I would ask any of you wonderful people for hints/advice/warnings on how to go about this task.

I could also use some suggestions on what to do with the leftovers. It seems a waste to just throw away bits.

To make this more fun maybe you could post pictures of ones you have created in the past?

Thanks in advance!

[Menolly]

I assume the display is going to be inside. I find carved pumpkins don't really display all that well in lit areas, so unless you plan to have a darkened area to display the pumpkin, I suggest painting a decoration on the outside and leaving it whole.

However, if you do choose to carve, I've been trusting Pumpkin Masters carving directions and patterns for years. I don't use their brand tools though as they're just cheap plastic crap. There are tools around the house that do similar things.

I also find doing the pin pricking to "trace" the pattern on to the pumpkin to be tedious, so I make multiple copies of the pattern I am using and carve through the pattern taped on to the pumpkin itself.

As for eating the pumpkin...

Keep in mind jack-o-lantern pumpkins have been bred for decorating. They are still edible, but compared to buying pie pumpkins, or as has been recommended to me in the past, butternut squash to use in place of pumpkin, they are pretty tasteless. Doesn't stop me from making pies from mine though.

What I do is only carve the pumpkin on Hallowe'en itself. I package up the parts that are carved out and refrigerate them. We are toasted pumpkin seed lovers here, so those are saved as well. Serious Eats just sent out a pumpkin seed brittle recipe in their newsletter I may give a try though, although that calls for dried green pumpkin seeds. I'll have to see if the recipe can be adapted for toasted jack-o-lantern seeds...

After the carved pumpkin has been displayed, I cut it in to workable chunks and trim off about a half inch of the exposed flesh and toss it. Then the carved pumpkin and the saved bits from earlier are oven roasted until soft. I allow them to cool, then peel the skin away from the baked flesh. The flesh is then mashed and drained, and refrigerated overnight.

The next day I press as much of the remaining liquid out of the cooked pumpkin as I can, and package it up in freezer bags in two cup measure, which is the amount I use for pies. They are then put in the freezer and I have fresh made pumpkin puree ready to go to see us through the holiday season.

HTH, Chrys.

[drew]

Go for the easy pumpkin face.

Triangle eyes.
Triangle Nose
and a big grin with one or two teeth.

You have to cut a hole in the top, pull the top off and get your hands good and dirty and slimy scooping out as much of the goop as possible.
THEN you can use a spoon to get the rest out.

Draw the face on with pencil, in case you make a mistake, then just go in and out with a small sharp knife.

I throw the goop away..but save the seeds.
Rince them off, let them dry, and bake them on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt.

MmmmmMmmmm.
Pumpkin seeds are good for prostrate health too-so tell the men in your life to eat up!!

[Chrysalis]

Well it has been started...we shall see what the results turn out like. I guess I will be the one getting my hands dirty as my colleague refuses point blank to stick her hand into the squishy insides.

[Cagliostro]

The best advice I can give is to not be the one who cleans out the insides. It is the biggest drag of the whole experience, and as I get older and grumpier, I find it overshadows the fun of pumpkin carving. I don't mind any other aspect of it, and have no problem with tediousness of cutting the design in.

I don't mind sticking my hands in the mucky-muck. It's just that there is generally so much crap in it, it just really overstays its welcome.

[drew]

If you want to really experience the north american Halloween...you have to NOT throw your pumpkin away...leaving it on your steps until it has shrunk to at least half its size, and has turned colour from orange to black; and maybe has some fur growing on it.

Everyone else does that too, right?

[Menolly]

Everyone else does that too, right?

See my post above...

*shudder*

[drew]

Well its either that, unless those darn teenagers steal it and smash it in the road.

never understood of the draw of smashing pumpkins.

...Now Smashing Pumpkins...that's another story!!

[Cagliostro]

If you want to really experience the north american Halloween...you have to NOT throw your pumpkin away...leaving it on your steps until it has shrunk to at least half its size, and has turned colour from orange to black; and maybe has some fur growing on it.

Everyone else does that too, right?

Hell yeah. Your pumpkin should look like a horribly burned old man without teeth, but with at least a 5 o'clock shadow and a drooling problem. The smell should start seeping inside, which is when it is time to dispose of the solid remains, and mop up the rest.

[drew]

Awesome.

And you know when to throw away your christmas tree, when the ornaments fall off the dropping, soft branches, right?

[Cagliostro]

Awesome.

And you know when to throw away your christmas tree, when the ornaments fall off the dropping, soft branches, right?

I usually wait until the neighbors complain, and someone issues a formal notice. But typically they seems to disappear before then.

[Fist and Faith]

Yeah, chuck the gunk, but save the seeds. Get a pail or big bowl of water, and drop the handsful of seeds into it. When you're done, try to get most of the gunk off them. Dry them off, but not entirely. Just so they're damp. Then lay the wm out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle them with as much salt as you like, and bake them. I don't know... 400 degrees? Until they're very dry and crispy. Burned is bad. heh

[Damelon]

If you want to really experience the north american Halloween...you have to NOT throw your pumpkin away...leaving it on your steps until it has shrunk to at least half its size, and has turned colour from orange to black; and maybe has some fur growing on it.

Everyone else does that too, right?

They usually get smashed before that point...

[[Syl]]

Carve, definitely. I even like the degutting. As far as the artistic aspect goes, my wife is the queen. We did an Obama lantern last year (I posted a picture somewhere). Almost made it to Halloween, but somebody stole it. Yes, stole it. Damn thing was gone. After looking in the bushes and anywhere else it might have been thrown/splattered, I looked a couple blocks down each street my house is on out of morbid curiosity, and there was no sign of it. It was pretty squishy by this point, too.

And the thing about rotting, it was much less of a problem back in Nevada. Here we don't bother until about a week out, otherwise there's no way it makes it to Halloween. Oh, and this year, we're doing Michael Jackson, ala Thriller.

[Chrysalis]

Oh, and this year, we're doing Michael Jackson, ala Thriller.

Pictures are definitely needed of that!

I was very disappointed to find a very unhappy pumpkin at work this morning. After only a couple of days it is growing mold like crazy and has soft patches. Boo! =(

[Menolly]

As I said, I only carve on the day I need to use the pumpkin.

[Savor Dam]

The decay of the cut pumpkin can be slowed (but not entirely prevented) by lightly coating the cut surfaces with Vaseline.

[Menolly]

Then it really probably can't be used for anything edible after though. Yet, if it is going to sit out carved longer than a day, I guess you wouldn't want to eat it, even after trimming away all of the exposed flesh.

[Savor Dam]

We illuminate ours by candle for fairly long periods, and have judged that the combustion by-products render those pumpkins unfit for food use.

[aliantha]

Yup, Chrys, if a carved pumpkin sits indoors in a heated space, it'll rot. Same-same with a carved pumpkin outdoors if it warms up during the day. The reason Syl's survived when he was a kid is because Nevada's in the desert.

Get another and paint it. That's my suggestion. FWIW.