Carving Tips
Preservation:
The sad fact is that a real pumpkin is going to rot away. And, unfortunately, the formerly impressive carving you made will go with it. You won’t get much of a result from injecting your pumpkin with Botox but there are some things you can do to help delay the inevitable. There are two things in particular that will speed the demise of a pumpkin: dryness and mold. If you can keep both of these things in check then your pumpkin will last much longer.
Some people recommend coating the exposed surfaces with petroleum jelly. This works to seal in moisture but it can be a bit time consuming and you run the risk of breaking off delicate parts of your carving. A much simpler, yet equally effective method is to use a spray lubricant like WD-40 on any surface that wouldn’t normally be exposed to air. Basically, that includes everything that isn’t covered by the pumpkin’s natural skin. Under no circumstances should you spray that stuff near an open flame, though, or you may find yourself missing eyebrows. In fact, if you do apply a petroleum-based product to your pumpkin, it would be very unwise to use a candle for your lighting and you should instead stick to something that won’t generate much heat and cause a fire hazard.
I've discovered a little trick that will help keep mold from ruining a pumpkin before you’ve had ample time to enjoy it. Spray disinfectants like Lysol kill mold and are easy to apply. Just spray some on the exposed surfaces of your pumpkin to help keep mold at bay. Other methods you can use to keep your pumpkin looking fresh are to refrigerate it and cover it in plastic wrap when not displaying it to help keep it cool and to prevent the water from evaporating.
