I carved a lovely Jack-O-Lantern this year (if I do say so myself). I proudly display it in the living room, lighting it up each night to make the house more festive. Last night when I went to light my darling pumpkin, I noticed that it was getting kind of wilted and a little bit moldy! I swear this has never been a problem in past years, and it was kind of gross, so I went searching online for tips to avoid wilty, moldy Jack-O-Lanterns, so that no other South Shore Mamas will have to be the moldy-pumpkin-lady. Here’s what I found…
- Lightly coat the cut surfaces of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly immediately after you finish carving, including inside of the pumpkin and lid. The petroleum jelly acts as a barrier to seal in the pumpkin’s natural moisture and slow down the dehydration process.
- Pumpkin Fresh Pumpkin Preserver is one of those ‘As Seen On TV’ products. Spray-treat your carved pumpkin with Pumpkin Fresh to seal the inside of the pumpkin and prevent mold, rot and decay. 4oz. bottle for $4.99.
- Make a solution of 2 teaspoons of bleach and one gallon of water (double or triple as needed). Completely submerge the carved pumpkin in this solution for 8 hours. Air dry on top of newspapers.
- Spray the inside and outside of your Jack-O-Lantern with a bleach and water mixture (one teaspoon for each gallon of water). This will have to be done once a day.
- Spray the entire pumpkin, inside and out, with a clear acrylic spray.
- Cover your Jack-O-Lantern with a wet/damp towel during the day.
- Try soaking your carved pumpkin in water overnight to rehydrate and restore it back to its original condition.
My Science Project compared five different ways to preserve a carved pumpkin (glue, bleach, Vaseline, Pumpkin Fresh Spray and acrylic spray) and documented the results compared to a plain old untreated Jack-O-Lantern, pictures included. A little bit gross, but interesting reading nevertheless!
