With Halloween fast approaching it’s that time of year again to start thinking about pumpkin carving. Leading supermarkets are already selling pumpkin carving kits. The kits tend to contain a scoop and a pumpkin carving tool. Here are a few pumpkin carving tips to get you started.
Choose a good pumpkin
When choosing a pumpkin, opt for one that looks fresh, has a sturdy not soft stem, and that has a flat bottom (this will prevent the pumpkin from rolling)
Scoop it up
Using the scoop, thin the inner wall of what will be the pumpkins face to 1 1/4 inch thick. This will make it easier to pierce the shell.
Don’t waste it!
Before you throw away the pulp from the pumpkin think about all the tasty things you could make apart from the obvious pumpkin soup, what about making your own pumpkin pie, muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread or even pumpkin curry!
Going spare?
Get creative with the left overs! There are some very cool things you can do with the left overs, i.e. create a tongue out of the discarded pumpkin shell.
Keep it fresh
Spreading petroleum jelly aka Vaseline on the edges of your pumpkin will help to seal in moisture. To keep your pumpkin fresh try reviving it by soaking it face down in cold water for up to eight hours.
Let the heat out
Always cut a hole in the lid when using candles to let out any smoke or save yourself the stress and go with battery-operated imitation candle instead.
Safety
Choosing a battery-operated light is a safer option when lighting your pumpkin. Unattended candles burn through quickly and aren’t completely safe. With a battery-operated light not only are you being safe, you can achieve lighting effects that you cannot achieve with a candle.