Try these 6 tips to keep your jack-o’-lantern fresh and off the menu for SC critters
Halloween is just over two weeks away. For anyone wanting to join in the festivities and carve a pumpkin, keeping the jack-o’-lantern fresh and uneaten by wildlife until the holiday can be tricky.
First and foremost, picking a pumpkin that is hard, blemish-free and thick can help slow the decaying process of the pumpkin.
What should you do if you have already bought your pumpkin and it may be on the thinner or more blemished side of pumpkin choices?
Fortunately, there are several at-home solutions to prevent early jack-o’-lantern decay.
Once carved, spray the cut and scooped-out surfaces of the pumpkin with hairspray. Strong-hold and anti-humidity sprays may last longer and work well 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. Then, 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 substantiality 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.”
Apply olive oil or a petroleum jelly product to the scooped-out and cut surfaces of the pumpkin to help prevent dehydration.
Change 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, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
As for nearby critters that like to eat your pumpkins, the petroleum jelly and hairspray methods will help deter them from snacking on your jack-o’-lantern.
Another frequently used method to deter animals from your pumpkin is by sprinkling cayenne pepper around, on or in your jack-o’-lantern or even brushing the pumpkin with a bit of spicy hot sauce.
If you don’t want to mess with your pumpkin’s aesthetic at all, 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 hard work.
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Try these 6 tips to keep your jack-o’-lantern fresh and off the menu for SC critters."
