With Halloween almost upon us, fans of the spine-tingling festival are getting their spookiest outfits sorted and choosing a few horror movies to watch on the big night.
If you’re prepping your Halloween lair, a carved pumpkin is an essential – and they’re already arriving in supermarkets around the UK.
If you’ve got plans to gather your friends and family, and etch designs onto the seasonal vegetable, we’ve got you covered.
From how long your creation will last, to the best time to buy that all important pumpkin, here’s everything you need to know.
When’s the best time to buy a Halloween pumpkin?
Anytime in the month of October in the run-up to Halloween (October 31) is a perfectly appropriate time to purchase your jack-o-lantern – so get that supermarket trip planned in.
Pumpkins last eight to 12 weeks after they are picked, so it’ll stay fresh once you pick it up.
But, a word of warning: once you carve, that the clock starts ticking.
When’s the right time to carve a pumpkin?
Once you decide on your pumpkin pattern and outline it on the skin, it’s time to take the knife to your oversized squash and carefully carve.
When the pumpkin is carved and hollowed out, it will last around five to 10 days.
After this time, it’ll start to wilt and smells like the rotting vegetable that it technically is. Lovely.
So, don’t carve your pumpkin before October 27, just to be on the safe (nice-smelling) side.
How to pick a pumpkin that will last the Halloween season
Firstly, make sure you select a perfectly unblemished pumpkin off the shelf.
If it has gouges or blemishes anywhere on it, this means it is not fresh.
Also look out for the texture. If the pumpkin is soft to touch, it means it won’t last as long as you would like.
How to make your Halloween pumpkin last longer
Once you have scooped out the insides of your pumpkin, a top tip is to spray the insides with peppermint dish soap, as peppermint is anti-fungal and will slow the pumpkin’s breakdown.
The more air circulation around your pumpkin the better, as the less air circulation the faster it will grow mould.
You can also refrigerate your pumpkin once it is carved wrapped in a bin bag to re-hydrate the lantern.
Another way to re-hydrate is to soak the pumpkin in a large bucket of cold water overnight.
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