Everything You Need To Know About Pumpkin Carving

Many of the customs and traditions of Halloween first came to the US in the 1800s, brought by Irish immigrants who were practicing variations on old Celtic traditions. The modern practice of pumpkin carving has its roots in the carving of gourds and other large root vegetables. 

What used to be simple, scary faces and expressions has now grown to be just about any image the carver desires. By peeling the outer shell as well as making cutouts, even more detail and shading is possible. This hub has just about everything you need to know about pumpkin carving!

"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." - Linus Van Pelt

There are a few things to consider when you go to pick a pumpkin for carving:

• Don't do it too early before your holiday party or Halloween, or you run the risk of your pumpkin rotting before the big night.
• Think about what sort of design you want to carve so that you can make sure you get a pumpkin that is big enough for the image you want to create. You might need a flatter side, or a really thick-skinned pumpkin if you are want to carve a two-tone design.
  
• It never hurts to get more than one pumpkin. It's easy to get 2-for or 3-for pumpkin deals, and that lets you have a back-up pumpkin in case you really mess up the design you are trying to carve, or it allows you to carve more than one pumpkin.
• Test the stem to make sure it's firmly attached. One way you can test your pumpkin for freshness is to pull on the stem when you pick it out. Not only does this make a good handle for a removable top, but a stem that breaks off or feels soft around the base is a sign of a pumpkin that is starting to rot.

• Get a big pumpkin so that you have a larger surface to work with.
• Using modern pumpkin cutting knives is a lot safer and allows for better detailing than using any old knife you grab out of your kitchen.
• Instead of cutting the top, try cutting out the bottom of the pumpkin. This lets it sit flat and then you lift the pumpkin up and set it down over the candle/light. Cutting a chimney hole to let out heat is a good idea with this method.
  
• Take your time. The best way to get a great looking carving is to have plenty of time and work slowly. This lets you get all the details just right.
• To get the design on the pumpkin, it's best to tape the pattern to the pumpkin and then makes lots of little pricks along the lines to be cut. You can do this with an icepick or a special pumpkin tool made for the job.  If you are really good at drawing, you might try free-handing your design on the pumpkin with a marker like a Sharpie.  (you can correct mistakes by erasing using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol)
  
• Scrape the pumpkin thinner on the inside of the face where you will be cutting out your design. Doing this will make the cutting-out part a LOT easier.
  
• If you are using one of those great new types of pumpkin tools that can't cut fingers, here are some tips for use. Hold the tool gently, saw briskly and saw at a 90-degree angle, or you risk snapping off the blade.
  

The number one thing you can do to keep your pumpkin looking fresh for the holiday is to not carve it too far ahead of time. After all, this is an unrefrigerated vegetable that you've just hollowed out. Suggestions include

• Don't carve out the shell to thinly. Leave a little meat inside the pumpkin as this helps it retain moisture.
• Don't let the pumpkin get rained on or frozen:  both seem to bring on rotting very quickly.
• Keep it in the refrigerator during the day and only put it out at night. 
• Bleach water - some people soak their pumpkins in a bleach water solution to kill mold. 
  
• Commercial "pumpkin spray" is mostly a borax solution which works to kill mold and fungus.