Category Halloween

How to Extend the Life of a Carved Pumpkin Read more at http://savingdollarsandsense.com/extend-life-carved-pumpkin/#sesKZSBuv1GJJruH.99

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Anytime that we have carved pumpkins we have had to wait until the night before in order to assure that the pumpkins would last.

This year I decided to do a little research to see if there was anything we could to do protect our pumpkins from rotting so quickly. Because I am scheduled for surgery on October 29th, I wanted to carve our pumpkins a bit sooner than normal.

If you want to keep your carved pumpkins from rotting you need to do something to preserve them.

The moment that you cut the pumpkin with a knife you destroy their natural protection, making room for bacteria and fungi to grow, and thus begins the decay process.

But there are some things that you can do to extend the life of you carved pumpkins this year.

Wash your pumpkins. Make sure you wash the outside of the pumpkin before carving to get rid of any dirt that could carry microscopic organism that will begin attacking the pumpkin once it has been cut.

Spray your pumpkins. Make a bleach spray using this 1 tablespoon of this Homemade Bleach and 1 quart of water. Spray the entire inside and all exposed cut areas liberally with your Bleach Solution and allow to dry for about 30 minutes.

Protect your pumpkin. Rub petroleum jelly over all the areas that you previously sprayed.  This will create a protective barrier that will help keep new bacteria or fungi from growing and extend the life of you carved treasure.

Keep in mind that sunlight and heat are enemies of the carved pumpkin and help bacteria to grow. When choosing a place to display your pumpkin, look for a spot that is out of direct sunlight.

Now the only thing you have to protect your pumpkins from are neighborhood critters!

The squirrels LOVE to eat them

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If you need Pumpkin carving Ideas, check out these FREE Pumpkin Carving Patterns.

There are SO many to choose from!

And you can’t forget to make sure you have all the Pumpkin Carving Tools you’ll need.
Read more at http://savingdollarsandsense.com/extend-life-carved-pumpkin/#sesKZSBuv1GJJruH.99