5 Top Tips for Pumpkin Carving
Whether you are planning to carve a spooky spectre, crazy cat or freaky face into your pumpkin this year there are several ways to make the job much easier – especially if you follow our 5 top tips…
Freestyle vs Patterns
If you are confident in your artistic ability or will be happy with whatever artistic mastery your knife will wield then simply go for it…however for those who want a pumpkin carved intricately then download one of the hundreds free patterns on the internet. They range from simplistic to intricate and help those who have a lack of artistry achieve a good level of perfection.
Have your Ice Cream Scoop at the Ready…
Make the job of carving a pumpkin easier by ensuring you have the right implements to hand. You will need more than one good strong, sharp knife to make it an easy job – a variety of sizes helps immensely and our top tip for scooping out the pumpkin flesh before carving commences is to use an ice cream scoop – yep you read that correctly.
They are strong and don’t tend to bend (unlike some spoons). With the scoop you can shave away the flesh to ensure that the wall of the pumpkin is as thin as possible making carving easier – it is hard to get that leverage with a spoon.
Use the flesh…
The flesh you carve out of a pumpkin consists of largely pumpkin seeds. A little disappointing if you were hoping to make soup, however, this combination of seeds and orange flesh can be utilised in two ways. First of all as part of the design – using it as ‘pumpkin spew’ makes a brilliant effect, secondly the seeds can be planted for next year. A great idea for children and will save you money next year!
Add a Chimney Hole…
To ensure a good glow from your pumpkin once lit, make sure you put a sizeable hole in the pumpkin’s lid. This creates a chimney effect and draws the heat upwards, ensuring the flame does not go out. For safety we recommend using led lights rather than real candles but for traditionalists this is a ‘must do’ tip.
Preserve your Pumpkin…
After carving you can put some sort of preservative on your creation in an effort to fight off the mould which will inevitably start to grow on your pumpkin in as little as 48 hours.
To try to gain longevity in your pumpkin ‘pumpkin spray’ is on sale which includes a preservative ingredient, you can smear vaseline over the pumpkin, keep them in airtight bags in the fridge when not in use and some people even recommend dunking the pumpkin in a bleach and water solution. This all really depends on how long you want to keep your pumpkin fresh for!
If you are heading out to pick your pumpkins this weekend in Maidstone, keep in mind that ‘Pumpkin Moon’ and ‘Mile Bush Farm’ have PYO Pumpkins at the ready.
Pumpkin Moon is on the Old Chatham Road, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3BE. Follow signs for Tyland Barn and then the signs for Pumpkin Moon. Tel: 07922 796987, Email: [email protected] or visit their website: www.pumpkinmoon.uk Click here to read our review of Pumpkin Moon.
Milebush Farm is open every day from 9am-5pm at Shingle Barn Lane, West Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 OPN. Tel: 07971 964509 or find them on Facebook.
