A Pumpkin Adventure
Prolonging the life of carved pumpkins
Hopefully by now the costumes are all sorted and everything is ready for a night of fun. If not, well you still have a few hours.
Last night my family and I carved pumpkins and I realized there were a few things I wanted to share to help your pumpkin decorations last a bit longer. Let's talk about carved pumpkins first.
The first step is to find the pumpkin you want to carve. Go for one that has a stem length of 1” or more. Pumpkins without stems will rot faster and cut down on your pumpkins lifespan.
Once the perfect pumpkin has been found it’s important to give in a quick bath with soapy water. This will help remove any impurities. After washing, dry the pumpkin and then spritz it with a bleach water solution. A good ratio is 1tsp bleach to 1 quart water. Allow the bleach solution to air dry. This will sanitize the pumpkin so that once the cutting begins bacteria won’t be introduced to the soft flesh.
Now you’re ready to start cutting. Cut around the stem to make a hole to remove the pumpkin guts through, be sure its big enough to fit your fist through. Use a sharp clean knife to make the cuts. If you want to keep the seeds to plant next year set them aside in a pile, I’ll talk more about them in a minute. Try to get as much of the seed guts out as possible. Use a spoon to help scape the sides so they are relatively smooth. After the pumpkin is carved to your hearts desire spritz the inside and outside with the bleach solution one more time and allow to air dry.
This small amount of diluted bleach is safe for wildlife. The active chemical in bleach is sodium hypochlorite and is toxic if consumed in concentrated amounts. Studies have show that a diluted solution of bleach breaks down quickly once exposed to air and sun. Produce farmers are actually approved to use products containing sodium hypochlorite, including plain household bleach, to sanitize produce labeled for consumption.
Saving Pumpkin Seeds
Let’s talk about those seeds you want to plant next year. The first step is to remove as much of the pumpkin gunk from the seeds as possible. If the seeds are pretty mature this is actually quite easy, otherwise it may require getting your hands a bit yucky. You already gutted a pumpkin, though, so this shouldn't be an issue.
Once the gunk is removed place the seeds in a colander and run water over the seeds while swishing them around. I rub the seeds gently while doing this to help remove the slimy coating the seeds have to from the pumpkin. After the seeds are rinsed dump them out onto a dry towel. Place another towel on top and carefully pat the seeds dry.
The seeds now need to dry completely so that they can be stored without molding. I usually use my unplugged dehydrator for this part. I place the seeds on the racks and then forge- I mean let the seeds dry for a couple of weeks.
Okay, so maybe there have been a few times when I pulled the dehydrator out to dry fruit and was surprised by seeds on the shelves. What matters is that the seeds are able to dry in a warm, dark area. Do not turn the dehydrator on to dry the seeds. As tempting as it may be, if the seeds are exposed to high temperatures it can kill the seeds and make them useless for planting.
I like to store the seeds in envelopes with the seed type written on the front. This keeps the seeds from being exposed to light and helps keep them dry. Store the envelopes in a cool, dark, dry area to prolong their viability. Once the weather warms up in the spring your seeds will be ready to plant.
Prolonging the use of uncut pumpkins
Before you go I wanted to mention how to prolong the life of uncarved pumpkins used for porch decorations. Just as with carved pumpkins use pumpkins with a stem length of 1" or more. Wash the outside of the pumpkin with soapy water and wipe dry. Then spritz with a bleach solution of 1tsp bleach to 1 quart water. Allow the pumpkin to air dry. If you wipe it dry the bleach doesn't have a chance to fully sanitize the pumpkin. To further protect your pumpkins from fungi and bacteria you can coat the pumpkin with a thin layer of Vaseline. If you are planning to give your pumpkins to livestock or wildlife at the end of the season do not use Vaseline as it can be harmful to them.
I hope this has helped you feel more confident about using pumpkins for your Halloween and fall decorations.
Enjoy your pumpkins and Happy Halloween!