8 tips to keep your SC Halloween jack-o’-lanterns fresh and away from wildlife
Halloween is just two weeks away; yet, for those wanting to get creative and carve a pumpkin, keeping the jack-o’-lantern fresh and uneaten by local wildlife until the holiday can be trickier than the carving itself.
Picking a pumpkin that is hard, blemish-free and thick-walled can help slow the decaying process of the pumpkin, so it looks fresh through to the holiday.
If you’ve already bought your pumpkin and it may be on the more blemished side of pumpkin choices, there’s still no need to worry.
Fortunately, there are several at-home solutions to prevent early jack-o’-lantern decay.
Here are six solutions for you to try to avoid rotting and to help preserve your festive pumpkin decor.
Once carved, spray the cut and scooped-out surfaces of the pumpkin with strong-hold and anti-humidity hairspray. This may help preserve your jack-o’-lantern by slowing down the decaying process and last longer in certain weather conditions and environments.
Create a solution of one tablespoon of bleach per quart of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the interior and cut the surfaces of the pumpkin generously. Let it dry. According to Farmer’s Almanac, this formula will help kill off surface bacteria and mold that can lead to rot.
Although South Carolina generally doesn’t have frigid temperatures in October, keeping the pumpkins out of the cold (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) will also help them keep their sustainability in case temperatures drop.
Try to keep your carved pumpkin away from high heat and temperatures. This includes candles used to light the jack-o’-lantern. “As nice as candles in jack-o’-lanterns are, they really do shorten the lifespan of the pumpkin since the heat from the flame ends up cooking the flesh,” said Thomas Andres, a cucurbitologist (pumpkin expert), to Smithsonian Magazine. “A flickering light bulb or glow-stick can be used instead.” Small electric tea lights can be purchased individually or in packs at many local markets.
Apply olive oil or a petroleum jelly product to the scooped-out and cut surfaces of the pumpkin to help prevent dehydration and preserve the pumpkin’s exposed interior.
If you have not done so already, try changing the way you cut your jack-o’-lantern. Cut a circular hole at the back of the pumpkin, save the piece as you would if it were the top, make the hole large enough to clean out the insides, insert a faux candle or glow stick through the hole and replace the piece back on the hole with a toothpick. This method avoids cutting the top of the pumpkin, which cuts off nutrients, causing it to dry out faster. Also avoid cutting the bottom, which can become messy, as pumpkins release a considerable amount of water once cut, detailed the Farmer’s Almanac.
As for any critters that may view your Halloween pumpkins as a healthy snack, the petroleum jelly and hairspray methods will help deter them from snacking on your jack-o’-lantern.
Another frequently used method to deter animals is to sprinkle cayenne pepper around, on or in your jack-o’-lantern or even by brushing the pumpkin with a bit of spicy hot sauce you have in your cabinet.
If you don’t want to mess with your pumpkin’s aesthetic, try placing pet hair near the pumpkins or invest in an owl statue. These will help scare away any critters potentially looking to make a snack out of your family’s hard work.
