Before we get started, let's talk tools. The pumpkin saws available with kits are pretty great but have a pretty wide spread in quality. Look for one's that have a sturdier looking handle and blade paying particular attention to the where they connect and if it's a strong bond. The carving action can cause the low quality one's to bend as you saw eventually causing the blade to snap at the handle. It may cost you a few bucks more but it's worth it.
You'll need:
Pumpkin Saw
Large metal spoon
Crazy sharp knife
Here's my kit:
The crazy sharp knife is just for cutting the tops. Dull knives are far scarier for this process as the rind of some varieties of pumpkins can be tough to get through. A good sharp knife gets you through this initial phase faster and safer. I found this one at Smart & Final 2 decades ago. I have never sharpened it and it could still cut through a tin can.
I'm pretty sure the spoon is a Chinatown purchase but it may also have come from Smart & Final. It's the perfect pumpkin scooping spoon as it's edge, while not actually sharp, is able to "cut" the pumpkin guts from the pulp. One of those "cheaper is better" products at least for what we need it for.
As for the pumpkin saw, I primarily use the long blade with the black & orange handle from a kit I bought at Lombardi Ranch many years ago before they closed. It's extremely well made so I never worry about the blade snapping off. The other two with green handles are well made and have smaller blades for the smaller details.
And now, onto the tips...
Tip 1: Smoke hole - it goes without saying you should cut a hole in the lid of the pumpkin if you're going to use a real candle. Take it a step further and cut a matching hole in the pumpkin itself. Now you'll never have to guess which way the lid fits.
Tip 2: Cleaned & Gutted - getting the guts out can be annoying. I like using a metal rice spoon similar to these. I've found them at Smart & Final, Big Lots & Dollar Tree stores. The cheaper one's seem to work better. The guts tend to have a connecting point dead center bottom (called the Blossom End) that is a good place to start. Grip the spoon close to where the neck & bowl meet and used the edge to "cut" this away from the flesh/pulp. Then, starting at the bottom, continue to scrape the fibrous strands where they connect with the flesh, rotating the pumpkin and working your way up as you go. This technique should cause the guts to accumulate in the middle in one big clump. Flip the pumpkin over and it "should" just plop right out.
Tip 3: Keep 'em cool - here in LA it's pretty impossible to keep a carved pumpkin more than 48 hours before it starts to mold and collapse. If you have the space, pop the pumpkins in the fridge during the day to keep them fresh.
Tip 4: Keep em' moist - congratulations, you got me to use my least favorite word. Moist. Ugh. Anyway. After carving, I rub petroleum jelly or use veggie oil on the exposed areas. This helps trap in the moisture (ugh, again!) and maintain the shape, especially those finer details that tend to dry out faster than others.
Tip 5: Stop the rot - mix a little bit of bleach with water in a spray bottle and spray all the exposed areas after carving. Give it a fresh "bath" every day or so. This will keep it moist (kill me now) but more importantly, will delay mold growth.
Tip 6: Bath time! After I carve I like to submerge my pumpkins in a bucket of water and let them soak for about 10 minutes. The gourd absorbs some of the water, giving it some life and it helps remove any strands and loose pieces leaving you with a nice clean Jack-o'-Lantern.
Tip 7: What big eyes you have! Something about a pumpkin turns everyone into a sculptor. And that's great. I'll never get between someone and their art. The results can be spectacular. However, they're only really appreciated up close and with ample time to admire. I have found a basic formula is most effective = big eyes + big mouth = big impact. Most visitors experience your pumpkin from afar so the larger the features the higher the visability. Also, if you're doing a whole bunch of pumpkins, you can crank these out a lot faster than carefully peeling the rind off a pumpkin with a carrot peeler to get a "cool layered effect." (Note: when friends come to help me carve their inner artist has flourished so you'll notice some of these fancier pumpkins in some of my pics. Gotta give credit where credit is due.)
Tip 8: Foster Imposters - If you really want to go to town with loads and loads of pumpkins, mix carved craft pumpkins in with real ones. Use an Xacto knife to carve your favorite designs into assorted size and shape craft pumpkins available at most craft stores. This can be done during the boring, non-Halloween, part of the year. The part I like the most is that I can put these out October 1 and have carved & lit pumpkins all month long! The trick here is the LED candle - they are often dark or have a funny colored light which causes them to stand out against a real pumpkin/candle combo. After many purchases and returns, I have found one I am really happy with and highly recommend. And they're remote control!
(before I found the good flameless candles)
Tip 9: Pumpkin Posterity - What to carve?! One asks themselves, pen poised, ready to draw on their selected gourd, hovering for an eternity as they wait for inspiration to smack them upside the head. Meanwhile, I have 15 pumpkins to carve so I've busted out 2 before the first pen stroke slides across rind. How? Because I just pulled up my "pumpkin" file on my computer and scrolled through the pics from previous years. Super original no but honestly, who from last year is going to remember anyway? And if they do, it's often because the liked the design. I also like to save images I see online or on TV for future pumpkins. What I'm saying is, make a catalog and get to carving already.
Tip 10: A Charlie Brown Pumpkin - Charlie Brown picked the saddest, least perfect tree on the lot and it was glorious. With genetic farming taking over and stores looking to buy & sell only the most perfect pumpkins, it can get rather boring. The giant bins of pumpkins that are all EXACTLY the same are freaky and unnatural. But what can you do, sometimes this is the only place to get pumpkins. If you don't have a farm pumpkin patch near you, I've found each store tends to buy from a different grower. While all the Vons pumpkins may be round and exactly 12" in diameter, Trader Joe's will have bought a different variety that is a different color and size. Smart & Final tends to hook me up with the tall, oblong one's. If you have the time, it's worth the separate trips. If you're lucky enough to have a farm near you even better. They're more likely to have the twisted and funky gourds and while typically more expensive, a few of these mixed in with store bought and you're set.
And there you go! I've included lots of group pics for you to add design ideas to your catalog and would love to see some of your favorite faces and designs.
48 days till Halloween....
(Quality flameless candles blending in with real candles)
